| My newsroom colleagues have been wondering how we're supposed to act in this new phase of Covid. Cases are rising but are estimated to be much lower than previous peaks. What does that mean for wearing a mask? Getting boosted? Sending your kid to school? If it feels like the rules are unclear, it's because they are. Lockdowns and mask mandates — specific guides from government agencies and other officials — are in the past. These measures were once imposed on people, says William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt Medical Center. "But now they're a matter of your individual decision making." In other words, updated Covid guidelines are left up to personal responsibility. "Think about who you are, what's your risk tolerance," and behave accordingly, Schaffner says. Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois at Chicago, referred to something public health experts use called the "Swiss cheese model," in which slices, or prevention methods, are layered on top of each other. The holes, or weaknesses, are misaligned. The goal is to create a solid block that, ideally, the virus can't get through. One person may need more layers than another depending on factors like geography and vulnerability to serious infection. To be sure, some of the basics still apply. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website provides a baseline of information with guidance on various topics. Those include what to do if you test positive for Covid, rules for schools and details about long Covid, which hasn't changed in months. New CDC guidance released on Tuesday recommends updated booster shots for everyone over six months old. But Wallace says there are more steps that require research based on the individual. Some groups are at higher risk for Covid than others, which is also covered on the CDC's website. The chances of someone getting Covid goes up as cases increase around them, too. Finding local Covid conditions used to be easy, but with the end of widespread testing, robust data reporting on Covid cases was dismantled. That leaves us with spottier data based on wastewater testing, hospitalizations and emergency department visits. Here, the CDC's website is less useful. Because the agency's tracker map by county is now based on hospitalizations rather than cases, "pretty much the whole map is green," Wallace points out. The verdant graphic, which indicates low hospitalization rates, might not be reflective of the actual number of cases in an area. Wallace suggests turning to a local public health department to assess community Covid rates. Schaffner notes that if hospitalizations in an area are rising, you can be sure that Covid is circulating. Armed with this information, you're ready to add the appropriate layers of protection. Those layers, such as wearing a mask, avoiding crowded indoor places, getting boosted, along with other seasonal jabs and stocking up on FDA authorized home tests, should sound familiar. "If you are a very prevention and health-oriented person, feel free to wear your mask," Schaffner says. "But nobody's going to go out there and twist your arm." — Cailley LaPara | 
No comments:
Post a Comment
Opinions expressed in comments may not be shared by moderator, but we try to respect diverse opinions