The recent uptick in US Covid-19 cases led to a host of COVID-19 guidelines shifting Wednesday, ranging from mask mandate extensions to new California quarantine rules.
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Confirmed daily cases of Covid have grown nationwide in the last few weeks from 25 to 30 thousand, and about 85% of these new cases are the new Omicron subvariant. The full severity of the subvariant is yet to be seen, but state and national authorities have already announced new policy shifts.
The California Department of Public Health said Wednesday that asymptomatic people -- who have been exposed to Covid-19 -- are no longer recommended to quarantine. So now, if you’re exposed to someone with Covid, but you don’t show symptoms, you’re encouraged to get on with your normal schedule!
This change shifts the thinking around Covid-19 to focus more on at-risk individuals than general infections, says Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences Jeff Klausner.
JEFF KLAUSNER: As we are in 2022, we’re no longer in 2020, and the approach to the epidemic has changed. We have ongoing surveillance, monitoring vaccination. We have a large amount of population immunity due to recovery from infection, and we also have treatments available.
The state of California has relaxed its rules for quarantine, but LA county has yet to implement the change.
RITA BURKE: L.A. has typically been, we’ve erred on the side of caution.
Rita Burke teaches clinical population and public health sciences at USC. Burke says based on recent history, LA will take its time to change the policy.
RITA BURKE: So if you remember, we were probably one of the last ones to open up because we do have such a large population. And so it doesn’t take as much to really stress our health care system.
When the county does eventually implement the new recommendation, Rita Burke says USC students will feel the effect.
RITA BURKE: It may down the road kind of help minimize any days missed of school. But again, that’s down the road. That’s not something that applies, that applies here now.
And if you’re traveling soon, the CDC also announced Wednesday that it will extend the federal transportation mask mandate through May 3. The 15-day extension means that passengers will have to wear masks on trains, busses, planes, and any other form of public transportation.
This change is sure to cause some controversy, there’ve already been multiple recorded instances of violence on airlines due to many passengers’ disdain for the rule. Some airline passenger advocates say extending the requirement for masks on airlines doesn’t make sense, because Americans are not required to mask at so many other crowded indoor events.
But USC professor Rita Burke says the difference between airplanes and other crowded spaces boils down to one thing -- ventilation.
RITA BURKE: You are in a confined space with very minimal ventilation. And so we know that ventilation really does play a significant role in COVID transmission.
USC professor Jeff Klausner supports the mask mandate extension.
JEFF KLAUSNER: I think that is an appropriate amount of caution at present, although we have not seen yet any effect of this increased number of tests increase hospitalization.
Since severe illness and death tend to lag behind initial spikes in cases, the CDC will just have to wait and observe the new subvariant.
Stay safe out there!