The Missoula Metropolis County Well being Division is now strongly encouraging all residents to begin sporting masks when indoors, and to improve the sorts of masks worn by adults and youngsters.
Director D’Shane Barnett spoke to KGVO Information on Thursday morning.
“All of us really feel like we’re performed with COVID, however COVID is certainly not performed with us,” mentioned Barnett. “This new pressure of Omicron is considerably extra transmissible, and what which means is that when somebody contracts this pressure, they’ve a a lot greater viral load. So in the event that they’re coughing or truthfully even when they’re simply speaking, they usually’re expelling droplets and aerosols, every particular person droplet and aerosol is now going to have extra focus of the virus than it could have with Delta or any of the earlier strains.”
Barnett mentioned common fabric masks merely won’t include the Omicron virus droplets.
“Top-of-the-line issues we will do is to make use of prime quality masks similar to N95 and KN95. What they are going to do is cut back the quantity of droplet and aerosol transmission greater than a fabric masks or perhaps a surgical masks. For these N95 masks, relying on the place you look they are often both fairly simple to seek out on-line, or there are just a few shops right here in Missoula who’ve them. In the event you actually simply don’t have any entry in any way to an N95 then the following smartest thing is to put on a surgical masks underneath a fabric masks.”
Barnett mentioned Missoulians are already conscious of the correct strategies of defending in opposition to and likewise stopping the unfold of the COVD virus.
“The entire well being behaviors that we have discovered over the past couple of years are nonetheless actually vital,” he mentioned. “Masking is completely one device that we’ve got in our belt but in addition bear in mind social distancing. That is additionally bringing numerous consideration on air air flow and filtration. Meaning getting your area to be as properly ventilated as attainable. Having a HEPA air filter, all of that’s going to assist pull the virus out of the air as a lot as attainable.”
Barnett mentioned a lot of the adults in Missoula County have been absolutely vaccinated, however because of the timeline, kids are behind in getting their vaccinations.
“As of Monday, what we’re seeing is that our over 30 inhabitants is fairly extremely vaccinated, or absolutely vaccinated,” he mentioned. “That 30 to 39 age group is at 72%,” he mentioned. “Our oldest residents, the 72 to 79 age group is at 90% and people who are 80 plus are at 85%. In order that’s nice, however our youngsters haven’t had entry to vaccines for as lengthy. So in our 5 to 11 age group, solely 23% are absolutely vaccinated.”
The press launch from the well being division states that ‘companies can remind patrons that sporting a masks is your best option for the protection of themselves and others’.
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