As the variant spreads, health officials will share mask advice

Under new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, face masks are recommended again, regardless of the person’s vaccination status.

According to the CDC, the guidance has been updated for the more contagious Delta variant, which is 100 times more contagious than the original strain of COVID-19.

All strains of coronavirus infect more than 769,800 Hoosier and kill more than 13,500 people in Indiana. According to the Indiana Department of Health, 91% of COVID-19 samples tested in Indiana were positive for delta variants last month.

The CDC states that fully vaccinated people need to wear masks indoors in areas of significant or high infection rates. Johnson County is now considered a substantial infected area based on the CDC’s assessment.

The CDC also applies if vaccinated people are immunocompromised or at high risk of serious illness if infected with COVID-19, or if they live with someone who fits the description. He states that he should consider wearing a mask.

According to the CDC, unvaccinated people should wear a mask indoors, regardless of their health.

For schools, the CDC recommends indoor masking for all educators, students, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status.

Local and state public health authorities have not issued new mask guidance.

Health director Betsy Swaringen said most counties and schools are unlikely to take action without new regulations.

The Johnson County Health Department has not issued new guidance, but encourages residents not to receive new guidance as a reason for remaining unvaccinated. As of Thursday, 73,358 county residents were fully vaccinated, which is 55% of the eligible population.

“I think you’re discouraging vaccination because you think the vaccine doesn’t work and there’s no benefit to vaccination. But it works and your health is the benefit you get. Vaccination The less likely you are to get sick, the less likely you are to get sick, “says Swearingen.

Neither the local government nor the school has announced any policy changes. In Johnson County, both Clark Pleasant and Edinburgh schools, which began Wednesday fall semester, made masks optional and demanded masks only by bus due to federal transport mask obligations.

Guidance at the school is subject to change, and school officials meet with members of the County Health Department at least once a week, said Patrick Spray, director of Clark Pleasant School.

“We rely on guidance from the Johnson County Health Department to monitor the number and frequency of cases in schools and classrooms to determine if additional steps need to be taken,” Spray said. increase. “They are readily available to help you answer questions and guide you through scenarios as needed.”

At schools in Edinburgh, Ron Ross also follows the guidance of the County Health Department.

“We are in continuous dialogue with the Johnson County Health Department. The COVID-19 pandemic is being monitored in collaboration with them and other Johnson County school corporations,” Ross said. “We will update our policies and protocols based on those guidance and state or federal obligations.”

The other four Johnson County school districts began classes next week, all with masks as an option, according to the school district’s plans.

The spread of the virus is expected to continue to increase among unvaccinated people due to the variant, without masking more people.

Case numbers and positive rates have increased recently, with more than 1,000 new cases reported across the state in the last two days, state health department data show.

Although below the peak of the pandemic, the data show that the number of cases reached an unseen level for several months.

At Johnson Memorial Hospital, the number of patients with COVID-19 is increasing. Dr. David Dunkle, president and CEO, said five people were hospitalized on Thursday.

JMH has seen some groundbreaking cases, but all five infected people currently in the hospital have not been vaccinated. Breakthrough cases (vaccinated individuals diagnosed with COVID-19) are extremely rare locally and nationwide, Dunkle said.

Unvaccinated people of all ages should follow the guidance of the new CDC. Infection increases the risk of serious consequences and the likelihood of eventually being admitted to a hospital. He said the vaccine has been shown to be effective in preventing serious infections, even if the virus breaks through.

Breakthrough infections are still rare, so vaccinated people should make the best decisions and consider wearing masks indoors, especially around people whose vaccination status is unknown. Mr. says.

Although parents have the final say, he recommends that children wear masks at school. He said he would do the same if his children were too young to be vaccinated.

According to Dunkle, some specialist medical societies recommend that children wear masks at school to prevent the virus from spreading to the point where the school must be closed again.

With numbers