Does the mask prevent other illnesses in school children?Utah doctors say so

Children are not only protected against COVID-19, but also another illness with symptoms like the common cold, RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, this year’s “very rare” early stage of a pediatrician at the Primary Children’s Hospital. As a protection against the emergence, I said on Wednesday that I should wear a mask when I return to school.

The advice from Dr. Pagesteland of Salt Lake City, a hospitalist at the University of Utah Health and Intermountain Healthcare Children’s Hospital, follows the decision of Dr. Angela Dunn, Secretary-General of the Salt Lake County Health Department. Mandatory masks at county schools for children under 12..

Dan’s orders could be overturned on Thursday by the Salt Lake County Council under a new process created by the Utah State Legislature. This gives the county governing body and ultimately state legislators control over the state’s pandemic response.

“This is a controversial and now politically condemned topic, which is a bit unfortunate,” Gesterand told reporters at a press conference. Every winter.

The state is already seeing cases of RSV after illness Almost disappeared last winter In pandemic precautions such as wearing masks, increasing social distance, and frequent hand washing, he said: The number of cases of COVID-19 is increasing rapidly, Driven by a highly contagious delta variant.

As a pediatrician and parent of school-aged children, Gesterand said: Why is it so important to me? Well, I don’t want people to get sick and die unnecessarily. “

He said that children who could not be vaccinated with COVID-19 until the age of 12 were already sick in some countries where the deadly virus made them more ill and RSV cases were increasing. Warned that it may be filled.

Gesterand said he was concerned that similar surges in both COVID-19 and RSV would strain Utah’s medical resources.

“It can be avoided. Masks are not perfect, but in addition to immunizing children over 12 years with COVID-19, masks and social distance and hand washing, perhaps the best in a toolbox to slow the spread It’s a tool for you, “he said. Both COVID-19 and RSV.

“I think it’s likely to get worse before it gets better, and in some cases it’s going to get worse significantly. And it’s likely that the boy will start the COVID-19 and RSV cases right away and start the school year. It wouldn’t be perfect for getting children to school, “Gesteland said.

“I have a lot of support for returning children to school,” he said. But let’s do it in a smart way that keeps us safe and keeps us all healthy. The school mask, which Gesterand said the kids learned to tolerate, is “probably one of our best ways to stay safe.”

Last month, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention It is recommended that everyone in the school from kindergarten to high school wear a mask We oppose COVID-19 regardless of vaccination status and encourage fully vaccinated individuals to wear masks in the public indoor environment of viral hotspots.

Like COVID-19, RSV initially looks like a common cold, but then infects the lungs, leading to respiratory distress. RSV is particularly severe in very young people, according to Gesterand, but it can also cause serious illness in adults with asthma, heart problems, or other medical conditions.

He said that testing is often needed to determine if someone has COVID-19 or RSV. He said Utah has already seen patients hospitalized for RSV, including intensive care units, and predicts that their numbers are likely to increase.

Utah COVID-19 increased by 1,114, killing another 7

The total number of COVID-19 cases in the state reached 442,245 on Wednesday, with 1,114 new cases and 7 additional deaths reported by the Utah Department of Health.

Approximately 3.1 million vaccinations have been given in the state, an increase of 6,823 times per day. Only 47.1% of all Utines and 58.2% over the age of 12 are fully vaccinated with COVID-19. In other words, more than 2 weeks have passed since the last dose.

The 7-day rolling average of positive tests was 812 per day, and since Tuesday, 7,532 people have been tested in Utah and 13,501 tests have been conducted. This results in a 7-day rolling average of positive rates of 9.8% if all results are included and 13.7% if multiple individual tests are excluded.

Currently, 389 people are hospitalized in Utah with COVID-19. The state’s death toll was 2,518, with an additional seven reportedly dead on Wednesday. they are:

• A 25-44 year old Salt Lake County man who was hospitalized at the time of his death.

• A woman in Salt Lake County between the ages of 65 and 84 who was hospitalized at the time of her death.

• A Beaver County man between the ages of 65 and 84 who was not hospitalized at the time of his death.

• A man in Salt Lake County between the ages of 65 and 84 who was hospitalized at the time of his death.

• A 65-84 year old Emery County man was hospitalized at the time of his death.

• A man from Juab County between the ages of 65 and 84 who was not hospitalized at the time of his death.

• A 25-44 year old Beaver County woman who was hospitalized at the time of her death.