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Masks are making a comeback in some places as COVID-19 hospitalizations rise.
Hollywood studio Lionsgate has implemented a mask order on some floors of its Santa Monica, California, offices after several workers tested positive for the virus, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In Atlanta, Morris Brown College announced a mask requirement for two weeks, as well as a ban on giant gatherings.
And some hospitals have also begun requiring face coverings again, Kaiser Permanente in California and two facilities at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York.
Meanwhile, in Kentucky, the Lee County School District canceled categories Tuesday and Wednesday and switched to remote learning on Thursday and Friday, prompting a wave of students suffering from COVID, strep throat, flu or other illnesses.
Nearly 13,000 additional people were hospitalized nationally with COVID-19 last week, a number that has doubled since the end of June, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In capita terms, COVID-related hospitalizations are in Delaware, North Carolina, Missouri, Florida and Hawaii, while Massachusetts, Vermont and Kentucky have experienced the biggest spikes over the past two weeks, according to the New York Times tracker.
But the numbers are still much lower than they were before. For example, at this time last year, there were more than 41,000 COVID-related hospitalizations. And the number of deaths from the virus last week (251) is at its lowest point since the pandemic began in March 2020.
Health is intensively following 3 variants.
Earlier this month, the EG. 5 subvariant, also known as Eris, became the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the United States and was also designated a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization.
Last week, Eris accounted for more than one-fifth of all new COVID-19 cases in the country, according to the CDC.
The subvariant FL. 1. 5. 1, informally nicknamed “Fornax,” accounts for 13. 3% of cases, almost double the number two weeks earlier.
EG. 5 and FL. 1. 5. 1 have mutations that would possibly spread them more quickly.
However, the WHO said earlier this month that the public health threat posed by EG. 5 is “low globally” and that there is no evidence that it causes more severe disease than previous strains. Eris is a descendant of the omicron subvariant XBB. 1. 9. 2.
In addition, CDC on Wednesday released a threat assessment summary for subvariant BA. 2. 86, which has only been known in a few cases internationally (two in the U. S. ). USA) But it’s notable, according to health officials, because it has genetic differences. Previous versions of COVID-19.
It may be more likely to cause infection in others who have already had COVID-19 or have been vaccinated, the CDC said. But the firm says it’s too early to say for sure whether it’s more contagious or causes further infection. severe disease than other strains.
The CDC cautioned that BA. 2. 86 is most likely more widespread than previously thought, pointing to the fact that it has been detected in five countries, indicating foreign transmission.
The firm also said the subvariant was detected in a U. S. teat water tracking sample. He did not specify where.
Amid the slight pushback from masking, the U. K. ‘s Royal Society released a study Thursday that found there is clear evidence that strict and timely implementation of non-pharmaceutical protective measures during the pandemic: masking, social distancing, travel restrictions, and more. – have been effective in some countries in reducing the spread of COVID-19.