Rong-Gong Lin II and Luke Money
LOS ANGELES — With COVID-19, flu and other respiratory illnesses circulating widely in Los Angeles County and elsewhere, many officials are urging citizens to use a familiar tool to thwart transmission: masks.
But why deserve to have citizens cover their faces again, especially when court orders are no longer in place?
Health officials widely agree that wearing a mask reduces the threat of viral transmission. There is also an educational studies framework for this.
“We also inspired him to wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask to prevent the spread of respiratory illness,” said Dr. Brown. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and PreventionThe U. S. Department of Homeland Security at a briefing with reporters last week. “The CDC continues to introduce mask dresses to anyone who chooses to travel by plane, train, bus, or any other mode of public transportation. “
Here are some reasons why the government is once again urging other people to put on masks.
Higher case rates
California has recently noticed a marked increase in coronavirus transmission.
With those increases come more risks. As case rates rise, “your chances of contracting COVID in your regimen activities — buying groceries, going out to dinner, running errands, going to paint — will increase,” according to Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
For example, with the recent rate of coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County, about 260 cases per week consistent with 100,000 people, if you were to attend a party with two hundred people, the likelihood of at least one user becoming inflamed there is 80% to 90%, Ferrer said.
If the case rate were successful at 350, the probability of that happening is about one hundred percent, he added.
“If you move on to an event like a concert or a big Christmas party, there is now a higher chance that one or more people present at the event will become infected, you may be unknowingly infected, and you may unknowingly infect their friends, colleagues or family,” Ferrer said.
While a coronavirus infection may be mild for many, other segments of the population are much more likely to become seriously ill.
“For the millions of other people in high-threat categories — the larger circle of family and friends, those with underlying physical conditions and those who are immunocompromised — expanding the threat of exposure can have a devastating impact,” Ferrer said.
COVID-19 deadlier than the flu
In Los Angeles County, COVID-19 deaths are surging. For the seven days ending Thursday, the county reported 82 deaths, up from 58 the week before.
“We’re worried about seeing even bigger increases in those numbers in a few weeks,” Ferrer said.
Since early October, an additional 25,000 people in the United States have died from COVID-19. Approximately 4500 more people have died from the flu, the CDC estimated.
The flu continues in Los Angeles County. The flu positivity rate is 30%, up from 25% last week.
Some hospitals are already stressed
Several hospitals in L. A. County report intense stress due to requests from COVID-19, flu or RSV patients. An emergency branch in Pasadena reported long wait times ranging from six to 11 hours for others with less severe illnesses.
“Wearing a mask in enclosed public places, among other protective measures, slows the spread of respiratory viruses that make the young and elderly seriously ill,” according to the California Department of Public Health.
Masking can also “significantly slow the spread and young children and young people who are not immune and are too young to wear a mask,” the branch wrote on Twitter.
Interruptions with uppercase rates are expected
As cases rise, outbreaks become more frequent, leading to disruptions at home, school and work. Too many delivery drivers with health problems can also lead to delays in storing shelves in retail stores or delivering packages. Small businesses can be affected if they can. t get their supplies. And the holiday season would likely have to be canceled.
At least one place to eat in San Francisco said it had to do so for a week “due to an increase in COVID cases among our team members. “
Reinfection a risk
Some who have recovered from COVID-19 are immune to the disease. But there is a significant weakening of that coverage gained against infection about 90 days later, Ferrer said.
Repeated infections can occur even more frequently, a few weeks after a previous infection. Among those who have had repeated infections is Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla, who said he tested positive for the coronavirus in mid-August and then returned to September. .
Long-term fitness for COVID survivors
The physical risk posed by COVID-19 necessarily passes once the infection is gone.
“The knowledge underscores considerations about the potential long-term consequences of even a mild infection that deserves attention,” Ferrer said.
they include
One in five adults has a physical condition that could be related to a previous COVID-19 illness, according to a study published by the CDC.
— Researchers have discovered a link between coronavirus infection and the risk of developing diabetes.
COVID-19 survivors are at increased risk of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease within one year of coronavirus diagnosis.
COVID-19 linked to an increased threat of Parkinson’s disease, ischemic stroke, and intracerebral hemorrhage.
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