Health officials and experts are renewing calls for masking as respiratory illnesses surge and Americans prepare for vacation.
RSV infection Child numbers appear to be surging nationally after weeks of overwhelming children’s hospitals, but remain unseasonably high. Flu-like illness accounts for more than 1 in 13 clinic visits, and hospitalizations continue to rise.Transmission of respiratory infections is high or very high when 42 states.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising, signaling the start of a very frightening winter wave. data tracking According to The New York Times, the number of cases has increased 56% in the past two weeks, while hospitalizations, which typically lag behind the increase in cases, have increased 28%. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports high infection rates in approximately 9% of U.S. counties. COVID-19 community level, which is based on the number of cases and hospital capacity. Another 35% of US counties are reported to be at the intermediate community level.
CDC recommends that everyone ages 2 and older wear quality masks in public indoor settings when community levels are high. Additionally, the CDC recommends wearing a mask when using public transportation such as planes, buses, trains, and subways.
local call
Local health officials are urging residents to remove their masks again as infections surge. For example, in Washington State, 12 county health officers and her 25 medical personnel have issued recommendations for residents to wear masks indoors.
“Communities across our state and across the United States are experiencing an unprecedented surge in viral respiratory illnesses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza, and COVID-19,” the group wrote. I am in a statement“As health officials and health care leaders working to improve the health of Washington State residents, we are committed to staying safe with others in indoor spaces to prevent both the acquisition and spread of these infections to others. We encourage everyone to wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask when together.”
Similarly, Los Angeles county health officials Encourage wearing a mask As local COVID-19 community levels become ‘high’.
“Our common goal during this pandemic has always been to reduce the burden of illness, hospitalization, and death, and we all know that it takes communities,” said Los Angeles County. Public Health Director Barbara Feller said Friday. “Amidst this surge, wearing a mask these past few weeks means people in LA County. It’s about people, it’s one of the easiest things anyone can do right now, besides getting vaccinated.”
Nationwide, New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan has been released Recommendation It told city residents on Friday: “Always wear a mask in indoor public areas, including stores, offices, lobbies, hallways, elevators, public transportation, schools, childcare facilities, and other public shared spaces. Please wear it in a crowded outdoor environment.”
encourage more
Health officials aren’t the only ones calling for more masks.with experts doctor We also encourage face coverings. Former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams Recently, he tweeted a photo of himself wearing a mask at an airport and wrote: Christmas! “
Last week, CDC director Rochelle Wallenski pointed out that Americans don’t even have to wait for health officials to recommend or require masks to protect themselves. We don’t have to wait for CDC action to do so, she said. She also said officials are “actively investigating” not just COVID-19, but all respiratory disease prevalence by including it in community-level categories. If agencies made such changes immediately, masking recommendations could suddenly take effect in the majority of the United States.
