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Dr. Sanjay Gupta explains what to do if you are currently infected with the coronavirus
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cnn—
If you're at high risk of severe illness or death from Covid-19, it's time to dust off your N95 masks and fit them comfortably over your nose and mouth, more and more people say, to protect yourself from the recent wave of viruses. . experts.
Cardiologist Dr. Jonathan Rainer said the advice should have been passed on to President Joe Biden, 80.
"Octogenarians are the group most at risk for complications from COVID-19," Rainer says.
"At least until the numbers start to drop again, it would be appropriate for President Biden to take some precautions and wear masks in crowds."
otherhigh risk groupIncluding people with diabetes, cancer, chronic liver disease, kidney or lung disease, organ or stem cell transplant, HIV or other immunocompromised disease, a history of heart disease or stroke, dementia, or mental health problems.
"If you are a caregiver for someone who is at higher risk of complications from an infection, I think you should also consider wearing a mask in public," said Reiner, a professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Science.
He added: "Since the most effective mask is the N95 and it's so widely available, you should wear it."
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Why experts recommend N95 masks to slow the spread of coronavirus
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Center for Disease Control and Preventionencourage people“Use the mask that fits you best, offers you the most protection and is most comfortable for you,” noting that some people are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill from Covid-19. But the agency does not broadly recommend that everyone wear masks. YeahHospital admissions reached a critical level.CDC Recommendationsuniversal maskingIn jurisdictions with 20 or more COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in local hospitals, masks are used for at-risk populations when between 10 and 19.9 people per 100,000 people are hospitalized with the virus.
National CDC data showed about 4 new hospitalizations per 100,000 people in the week ending Aug. 12, a figure considered low.valor umbral. No province has a greater number of hospitalizations due to Covid-19. But 85 counties, or about 3 percent of the country, fall in the middle threshold. About a quarter of those counties are in Florida.
“Indoors, when there are a lot of people, pressure and poor ventilation, I am still skeptical at the moment, especially since we are starting to see an increase in infections and I don't know when it will stabilize. . said Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist at the Scripps Translational Research Institute.
a new variety,BA.2.86, which has drawn the attention of scientists due to its high mutation rate, but has so far only been detected in a small number of people worldwide. Still, "things are not looking good from the point of view of the constant evolution of the virus," Topol said. The virus "is constantly finding new ways to challenge people, looking for new hosts and repeating itself, and it's relentless."
What happened to the Covid-19?
The CDC stopped reporting Covid-19 case totals this year, but the rising number of hospitalizations has raised concerns among those who follow the disease.
Virus levels in toilet wastewater have doubled, which could be an early sign of a rise in COVID-19 in the community.Dr. Robert WachterProfessor and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
"The number of hospitalizations hasn't doubled yet, but I think it probably will, because the numbers are a few weeks behind. There's no question you're at higher risk of getting infected now than you were a month or a month ago." years the risk was probably doubled. Now is the time to take the mask off again if you want to be careful."
Although the new variant of the coronavirus is similar to the dominant variant,EG5, which themselves may not have caused the recent acceleration, and may have some resistance to the immunity provided by current vaccines and boosters.
"Also, most people haven't had a booster shot in a while, so herd immunity is lower than it was six months ago," Wachter said. “The virus saw that, it saw that most of the faces and noses and mouths were not covered or protected, so it took advantage of that.”
A new booster vaccine designed to better protect against common strains of the new coronavirus will be available in about a month, and most people can wait for the new shot to boost immunity, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine. and infectious disease specialists from the University of California, San Francisco.
But if you're over 65, have a weakened immune system, or haven't recently had COVID-19 and don't haveAnother dose of bivalent amp"You should get it now to protect yourself," he added.
New boosters arriving this fall, targeting a family of Omicron subvariants called XBB, are expected to provide good protection against newer versions, Topol said, but scientists aren't sure how important BA.2.86 is.
answer fast
Some institutions have already responded to the emergence of COVID-19. Morris Brown University of Atlantaannounce returnPhysical distancing and the use of face coverings were required after the first week of school in August.
Pediatricians are prepared for typical back-to-school spikes in all sorts of respiratory illnesses, whether it's the common cold, the flu, or COVID-19.
“We have seen an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and, in general, the total number of home tests is low, so there may be more cases of COVID-19 than we know about, especially since the vast majority of children do not have or do not have tests. have mild symptoms. he said. Dr. said Sarah Bird, a pediatrician and medical director of the Intramural Health and Outpatient Clinic at National Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
Still, most students aren't required to wear masks and should take traditional precautions like washing their hands, coughing into their elbows and staying home if they're sick, said Broad, chair of the American Academy of Schools' school health committee. Pediatrics.
However, if a child has a serious medical condition that affects the immune system and the ability to fight infection, "I recommend that you discuss with your doctor whether you should add a separate mask to help prevent exposure," he said.
Schools can return to the practice of universal masking if an outbreak warrants it, Bode said, "but I would definitely emphasize and encourage people to make changes rather than go back to virtual learning."
“What we have learned from the pandemic is that children should go to school. It's very important for their social and emotional health," she said.
While some health care facilities and hospitals have been phasing out the mask requirement, a group of Washington state doctors wrote in an editorial published Tuesday that health care facilities should continue to wear masks, even if the general population it doesn't.
"The use of masks remains an important mitigating measure to protect the health of our healthcare workers, including those at high risk of serious illness," the doctors wrote in the report.Annals of internal medicine。
Are Americans interested in buying masks?
Despite concerns from experts and some agencies, Americans don't seem concerned enough about the recent spike in cases to change their behavior. According to the latest report, Covid-19 is at the bottom of the list of top threats to public health.axios/IpsosUS Health Index Survey
The survey found that the number of adults who said they sometimes or always wear masks in public continued to decline, while 82% had not taken a home test for Covid-19 in the past week.
When it comes to protecting yourself, "everyone chooses their own adventure right now," Wachter said. "I don't particularly blame healthy young people who get vaccinated and say, 'I've had enough.' I don't want to have to deal with this again, as long as they keep their eyes open and understand the risks." they face each other take."
"COVID-19 is not solely associated with the consequences of infection," Chin-Hong said, adding that infection may increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease or Alzheimer's disease, which is not associated with prolonged exposure to the disease. COVID-19. 19. "You don't want to be scared or... walk around like a kid in a bubble," she said. "But if you can't get it, it's a good thing at any age."
Regardless of how you feel about wearing masks, the reality is that Covid-19 is here to stay and we must continue to adapt, experts say.
"Viruses are always lurking, waiting for an opportunity, so I think it's a roller coaster that could go on forever. I liken it to the Golden Gate Bridge: you're done painting, you're done, you have to start again."
CNN's Amanda Musa, Brenda Goodman, Deidre McPhillips and Meg Tirrell contributed to this report.