COVID-19: Will the San Francisco Bay Space shut down once more? Not if a masks mandate is reinstated, medical doctors say
San Francisco (KGO) – Will the Bay Area Avoid Another Blockade? One of the state’s top COVID-19 experts says he’ll need to regain a full mask mandate to make this happen.
COVID cases and hospitalizations across the Bay Area are increasing at a pace not seen since the biggest spike began in November.
Dr. Bob Wachter, Dean of the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, said:
Related: CDC is reversing course on interior masks in some parts of the U.S.
“This virus does its job twice as well.”
Wachter says he is confident that when San Francisco gets vaccinated it will be in “good shape”, a model for the whole country, by the time it reaches 70-75% of the population.
“If we were dealing with an old virus, it would have been true,” he said. “But we are not.”
In the past three weeks, new infections with COVID in the Bay Area have increased fivefold on average and hospital admissions more than doubled.
Another blockage?
Stephanie: “Do you think it is possible?”
Wachter: “It depends on what we do, but we discover it early enough and the proportion of those vaccinated is high enough that there is an increase that could overwhelm the hospital. I think it’s very unlikely to be seen .. But it’s not zero. “
Video: what to do and what not to do after vaccination
Wachter is cautiously optimistic, but does not rule out another blockade. He says the UCSF Medical Center changed from zero inpatient COVID patients six weeks ago to 25 Tuesday morning.
“If we go back to the worst of the pandemic, when there are 100 to 150 people in the hospital, I think we have to do more than we do now,” he said.
Will Maskman Date be back?
Stephanie: “Do you think the entire bay will again require masking indoors?”
Wachter: “Oh, I think it’s 100 percent likely … I think the health authorities have to be pretty close to triggering this.”
Dr. Wakta says it would be surprising if the Bay Area didn’t have a mask requirement within a week.
Related: California State University requires all students and staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccine
4th wave
According to ABC7 data analysis, the 7-day moving average of new daily COVID cases in the Bay Area increased from 231 on July 1 to 1,335 on July 23. The average increased more than five-fold in just three weeks.
“If you look at what we’ve seen so far, the increase usually takes months,” said Wachter. “The delta seems to be a little shorter than the other waves.”
Even if a significant part of the population is vaccinated today, Wachter said, the situation will still be difficult in a month or two.
“Delta is not the end, so everyone has to be vaccinated,” said Wachter. “A new variant will come out.”
When do I need a booster vaccination?
Wachter says certain groups will need to start taking booster shots within the next few months. He hopes that it will gradually be phased out in groups like the first vaccination.
Who is in group 1? Once approved, Wachter will be used by immunocompromised patients, people over the age of 70, people who received their first injection in December or January, and even people vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson. Protected because the single dose is slightly lower.
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COVID-19: Will the San Francisco Bay Area Be Closing Again? Not If Mask Mandate Is Reintroduced, Doctors Say Source Link COVID-19: Will The San Francisco Bay Area Be Closing Again? Not if a mask requirement is reintroduced, doctors say
