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Jan. 12, 2022 — The CDC is making ready to replace its COVID-19 masks suggestions to emphasise the usage of N95 and KN95 masks that higher filter the virus, Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, mentioned Wednesday.
“We’re making ready an replace to the data on our masks web site to finest mirror the choices which might be out there to folks and the completely different ranges of safety completely different masks present, and we need to present People one of the best and most up to date data to decide on what masks goes to be proper for them,” she mentioned at a White Home information briefing.
Whereas the higher-quality masks present higher safety, they are often uncomfortable to put on, costly, and tougher to seek out. That’s why Walensky added an essential caveat.
“Any masks is healthier than no masks, and we do encourage all People to put on a well-fitting masks to guard themselves and stop the unfold of COVID-19. That suggestion will not be going to vary,” she mentioned.
“Most significantly, one of the best masks that you simply put on is the one you’ll put on and the one you possibly can carry on all day lengthy and tolerate in public indoor settings.”
In the meantime, the World Well being Group was extra targeted on vaccines.
WHO officers burdened Wednesday that international vaccine distribution is first precedence in defeating the extremely contagious Omicron variant, in addition to different variants that will evolve.
The WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition — a gaggle of specialists assessing how COVID-19 vaccines carry out in opposition to Omicron and different rising variants — says there’s an “pressing want” for broader entry to vaccines, together with reviewing and updating present vaccines as wanted to make sure safety.
The WHO additionally disputed the concept that COVID-19 may develop into endemic in a single largely vaccinated nation, whereas the remainder of the world stays unprotected.
“It’s as much as us how this pandemic unfolds,” Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, the WHO’s technical lead on COVID-19 response, mentioned at a information briefing.
The WHO has a objective of vaccinating 70% of the inhabitants of each nation by the center of the 12 months.
However proper now, 90 international locations have yet to achieve 40% vaccination charges, and 36 of these international locations have lower than 10% of their populations vaccinated, based on WHO Director Basic Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD.
A staggering 85% of the African inhabitants has not received a primary dose.
However progress is being made, Ghebreyesus mentioned on the briefing.
The WHO mentioned there have been over 15 million COVID-19 circumstances reported final week — probably the most ever in a single week — and that is possible an underestimate.
The Omicron variant, first identified in South Africa 2 months in the past and now found on all seven continents, is “quickly changing Delta in nearly all international locations,” Ghebreyesus mentioned.
Again on the White Home in Washington, Walensky mentioned this week’s U.S. every day common COVID-19 case depend was 751,000, a rise of 47% from final week. The typical every day hospital admissions this week is nineteen,800, a rise of 33%. Deaths are up 40%, reaching 1,600 per day.
However she additionally reported new information that helps different analysis displaying Omicron might produce much less extreme illness. Kaiser Permanente Southern California launched a examine Tuesday displaying that in comparison with Delta infections, Omicron was related to a 53% discount in hospitalizations, a 74% discount in intensive care unit admissions, and a 91% decrease danger of loss of life.
Within the examine, no sufferers with Omicron required mechanical air flow. The pressure now accounts for 98% of circumstances nationwide.
However Walensky warned the decrease illness severity will not be sufficient to make up for the sheer variety of circumstances that proceed to overwhelm hospital methods.
“Whereas we’re seeing early proof that Omicron is much less extreme than Delta and that these contaminated are much less prone to require hospitalization, it’s essential to notice that Omicron continues to be rather more transmissible than Delta,” she mentioned. “The sudden rise in circumstances as a consequence of Omicron is leading to unprecedented every day case counts, illness, absenteeism, and strains on our well being care system.”
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