Consultants from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Faculty of Public Well being warn extra time could also be wanted earlier than lifting pandemic mitigation measures.
New case charges of COVID-19 are dropping from file highs fueled by the omicron variant, inflicting some to marvel when pandemic mitigation measures can start lifting. Nevertheless, consultants from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Faculty of Public Well being warn extra time could also be wanted.
When masks mandates for public areas indoors and inside colleges could possibly be lifted was amongst matters mentioned throughout a Thursday webinar hosted by the Baltimore college.
“Proper now shouldn’t be the time to do this,” mentioned Dr. Crystal Watson, senior scholar on the Johns Hopkins Heart for Well being Safety and assistant professor for the Division of Environmental Well being and Engineering on the Faculty of Public Well being.
“For a lot of communities, we’re at or above 100 circumstances per 100,000 per day, and what we need to get all the way down to is extra within the within the vary beneath 10. Under one is admittedly the place we need to be,” she mentioned.
As of Thursday, per 100,000 individuals, Virginia’s 14-day common for brand spanking new COVID-19 circumstances is 84; in D.C. it’s 37 and in Maryland 31.
Watson believes masks mandates might be lifted safely when ranges of transmission subside and the youngest youngsters can get vaccinated.
“Then I believe we will have these conversations about masking in colleges,” she mentioned.
Maryland’s non permanent state of emergency associated to the pandemic expired on Thursday, however many public well being measures instituted by Gov. Larry Hogan will proceed.
“Our surge capability, our testing and tracing operations, our vaccine clinics — all these issues will stay in place as a part of the continuing operations of presidency,” Hogan mentioned during Wednesday’s State of the State address.
Is testing nonetheless that massive a deal?
Requested whether or not that’s nonetheless vital, an knowledgeable on the panel mentioned it’s.
“It’s nice that we’ve reached our peak, and are on the best way down however we have to get a lot, a lot decrease by way of the case numbers, earlier than we will actually severely take into consideration kind of scaling again a few of these interventions and testing procedures,” mentioned Dr. Andy Pekosz, virologist, professor and co-director of Johns Hopkins Heart of Excellence for Influenza Analysis and Response.
“And we have to maintain monitoring and ensuring we’re driving these case numbers down as little as potential, as shortly as potential,” he mentioned.
Watson concurred.
“What I need to emphasize is that well being care and public well being are nonetheless very a lot careworn in lots of locations. And our case numbers are nonetheless increased than we’ve seen with any earlier peak, so we nonetheless should watch out,” Watson mentioned. “Whereas these circumstances are ebbing, I believe it’s essential to not bounce right into a post-pandemic mindset simply but.”
Additionally, to trace what’s occurring inside communities, it’s essential to report at-home COVID-19 antigen check outcomes to well being departments.
“There are many packages to do this,” Watson mentioned. “And/or comply with up with a PCR check to verify so we will proceed to trace what’s occurring.”
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