It’s time to (again) mask up in Lorain and Ashtabula counties, CDC says | News

Two counties in northeastern Ohio are orange on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) map. This indicates high COVID-19 levels in these communities.

CDC officials recommend wearing masks when people in Lorain and Ashtabura counties are indoors in public, regardless of vaccine status.

“When it comes to this color, it is suggested or recommended to return to masking indoors,” said Mark Adams, Lorain County Health Commissioner.

According to CDC figures, the number of new infections in Lorain County last week was 267.8 per 100,000, an increase of more than 16%. Almost 14% of people are taking the test, and the percentage of tests returning to positive has risen to 14.19%.

In Ashtabula County, the infection rate during the same period was 240.64 per 100,000. This represents about 30% less new infections per 100,000 inhabitants. The percentage of positive tests is 15.75%, and the number of people who took the test last week is 10.74% higher.

According to Adams, masking is especially important to protect the vulnerability.

“The big problem is that there are still a lot of people who can still be very vulnerable,” he said. “People with comorbidities, organ transplants, the elderly, weak people, weak people, people with weakened immunity. Those people, even if they have been vaccinated before. , Even if vaccinated, it can be affected. “

According to the CDC, people at high risk of severe illness or have weakened immunity should consider wearing a mask and avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public places.

Authorities also recommend that high-risk people be tested and plan to consult a doctor about whether they are candidates for oral antivirals, PrEP, and monoclonal antibodies.

If you have an underlying medical condition, you should plan to take the medicine with your doctor before you get infected so that you can take the right medicine quickly and avoid the contraindications of the current medicine. Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said of the Ohio Health Department At a press conference last week..

Vanderhoff said the best way for people to measure risk is to look at the CDC. COVID-19 community levelTake into account things like transmission, but also find out how many people are seriously ill and whether the virus is stressing the health care system.

According to CDC data, virus prevalence is high in the majority of counties throughout the state. However, while the number of cases and hospitalizations in Ohio has begun to increase slightly, the number of deaths is still declining.

Data show that in the last seven days, an average of 127.1 Ohio people have been infected with the virus, with approximately 167 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants. About 40 people died of the disease at the same time. The per capita mortality rate for the entire state is 0.3.

In Ashtabura and Lorain counties, less than 10 people died from the virus last week.

This is because many people enjoy immunity thanks to vaccines and previous infectious diseases. This also prevents people from getting serious illness.

He said it is imperative that people take steps to maintain their immunity, such as keeping them up to date with vaccines and booster immunity.

Is it time to get a booster shot?

Last week, the CDC also expanded its guidelines for eligibility for COVID-19 booster shots.

agency Recommended now Children aged 5 to 11 years should receive booster immunization 5 months after the first Pfizer vaccine series. In addition, the CDC has strengthened its recommendation that people over the age of 12 and those over the age of 50 with weakened immunity should receive a second booster 4 months after the first booster. ..

Dr. Rochelle P. Wallensky, director of the CDC, states that vaccinations have been delayed among children between the ages of 5 and 11 and are susceptible to illness.

“Because they have been given more than 18 million times in this age group, these vaccines have been found to be safe and we need to continue to increase the number of children protected,” she said in a media release. .. “I recommend parents keeping their children up-to-date with the CDC COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.”

As the number of cases increases, it is important for everyone to be protected from the virus, Warensky said.

“People over the age of 50 and those over the age of 12 with weakened immunity need to receive a second boost,” she added.

Check the county’s COVID-19 community level Here..See the CDC’s complete recommendations for action at all COVID-19 community levels Here..

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