Jan. 12, 2022 – CDC plans to change its concept of the COVID-19 mask to emphasize the use of N95 and KN95 masks that filter the virus, Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, said Wednesday.
“We are preparing changes to the content of our shell page to better reflect the options and different security features offered by various masks, and we want to give Americans the best and most up-to-date information to decide what a mask is. has published in the White House.
Although high-quality masks offer better protection, they can be uncomfortable to wear, expensive, and difficult to obtain. This is why Walensky added an important warning.
“Every mask is better than no mask, and we urge all Americans to wear adequate masks to protect themselves and prevent the spread of the disease. COVID-19 DISEASES. That attitude does not change, “he said.
“Most importantly, the best mask you can wear is what you can wear and what you can keep all day long and relax in public housing.”
So far, the World Health Organization has focused on vaccines.
WHO officials Wednesday confirmed that global vaccination campaigns are crucial in tackling the worst Omicron variety, as well as other adaptive features.
WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition – a group of experts monitoring the COVID-19 vaccine against Omicron and other upcoming species – says there is an “urgent need” for access to vaccines, as well as re-testing and updating of modern vaccines. in need of protection.
WHO also challenged the notion that COVID-19 could be endemic in one highly vaccinated country, while the rest of the world remains protected.
“It’s up to us how the epidemic is going,” Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, WHO’s technical director for response to COVID-19, told a news conference.
WHO aims to vaccine 70% of the population in each country by the middle of the year.
But so far, 90 countries have said so pa to get 40% vaccination, and 36 of these countries have less than 10% of their population vaccinated, according to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD.
About 85% of Africans do not received first dose.
But progress is being made, Ghebreyesus said at the conference.
The WHO says there are more than 15 million cases of COVID-19 reported last week – most of which took place in one week – and this is probably not the case.
Omicron variant, first known in South Africa 2 months ago and here he found on all seven continents, “is replacing the Delta in almost every country,” Ghebreyesus said.
Returning to the White House in Washington, Walensky said US daily COVID-19 cases were 751,000, an increase of 47% since last week. The average number of hospital admissions per day this week is 19,800, an increase of 33%. Deaths rise by 40%, up to 1,600 per day.
But he also mentioned innovations that support further research showing that Omicron can produce fewer infections. Kaiser Permanente Southern California released a study Tuesday showing that compared with Delta disease, Omicron was linked to a drop in hospital rates by 53%, a 74% drop in admissions in the intensive care unit, and a lower risk of death by 91%.
In this study, none of the patients with Omicron needed ventilated ventilation. This problem now represents 98% of cases worldwide.
But Mr Walensky warned that the risk of the disease was not enough to meet the growing number of cases.
“While we see early evidence that Omicron is more dangerous than Delta and that those with the virus may not need to be hospitalized, it is important to note that Omicron continues to infect more than Delta,” he said. “The sudden rise in the number of cases due to Omicron is causing people to be accounted for every day, illnesses, absentees, and health problems.”
