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Health officials and experts renew calls for masking as respiratory illnesses rise and Americans prepare for the holiday.
RSV infections in children appear to be rising nationwide after weeks of overwhelming children’s hospitals, but remain unusually high for the time of year. Influenza-like illnesses also remain extremely high at this time of year, with influenza-like illnesses accounting for more than 1 in 13 doctor visits and hospitalizations continue to rise. Respiratory infection transmission is high or very high in 42 states.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are on the rise, signaling the possible start of a much-feared winter wave. Cases have risen 56 percent over the past two weeks, and hospitalizations, which usually lag behind increases in cases, have risen 28 percent, according to data tracking by The New York Times. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 9 percent of US counties have high COVID-19 community levels based on case counts and hospital capacity. Another 35 percent of U.S. counties are reported to have intermediate level wards.
The CDC recommends that everyone over the age of 2 wear a quality mask in public and indoors when community levels are high, and vulnerable individuals should also wear a mask when levels are moderate. Additionally, the CDC continues to recommend that people wear masks when using public transportation, including planes, buses, trains, and subway systems.
local calls
With infections rising, local health officials are also encouraging residents to re-pack their masks. In Washington state, for example, 12 county health officials and 25 health care executives issued recommendations for people in the state to wear masks indoors.
“Communities across our state and across the United States are witnessing an unprecedented rise in viral respiratory illnesses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and COVID-19,” the group wrote in a statement. “As public health officials and healthcare leaders, we work to improve the health of Washington residents and recommend that everyone wear a quality, well-fitting mask when with others indoors to protect themselves from the acquisition and transmission of these to protect others from infection.
Likewise, Los Angeles county health officials have been urging mask-wearing as the region’s COVID-19 community level moves to “high.”
“Our common goal throughout this pandemic has always been to reduce the burden of disease, hospitalization and death, and we all know it takes a community to do that,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health , on Friday . “During this wave, if you put your mask on for these few weeks, it’s about the people of LA County. It’s about every individual, every visitor, our healthcare workers, key workers and other people who serve. Next to vaccination, it is one of the easiest things anyone can do right now.”
Across the country, New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan released an advisory on Friday telling city residents, “Wear a mask at all times when in public indoor places, including stores, offices, lobbies.” , corridors, elevators, public transportation, schools, childcare facilities and other public common spaces and in a crowded outdoor environment.”
More urge
Health officials aren’t the only ones calling for more masks; experts and doctors are also pushing for face coverings. Former US surgeon General Jerome Adams recently tweeted a photo of himself wearing a mask at an airport and wrote: “Vaccinated, traveling with my mask and lots of hand sanitizer. Aside from Covid, I don’t want to get the flu or RSV (or any other circulating virus) before Christmas!”
Last week, CDC director Rochelle Walensky noted that Americans also don’t have to wait for public health officials to recommend or even require a mask to protect themselves. “You don’t have to wait for CDC action to put on a mask,” she said. She also said the agency is “actively evaluating” whether to include transmission rates of all respiratory illnesses — not just COVID-19 — in its community-level categories that determine when people should mask. If the agency makes such a change soon, it could mean that masking recommendations could come into force abruptly for the vast majority of the US.
