United States: The world has been traveling towards the United States to enjoy the holiday season of Christmas and New Year; however, the US health authorities have raised concerns about the looming threat because of respiratory virus season.
The concerns and worries have been raised by the health departments due to an increase in hospitalization because of flu and COVID-19, according to the data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention – which further expressed that vaccination rates in the nation lag.
In addition to this, the CDC mentioned that the cases related to the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) have witnessed a decline after hitting its peak around Thanksgiving. Along with the cases, the CDC has also reported a reduction in visits to the total emergency department and hospitals, according to the reports by ABC News.
In this regard, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital – Dr. John Brownstein, while having a conversation with ABC News, mentioned, “(This is) good, so we don’t have necessarily peaking of all of these simultaneous threats at the same time.”
He further said, “At the same time, we are seeing a jump in COVID, which is not ideal because a new COVID variant, aligning with holiday travel and gatherings, is unfortunately [a] recipe for additional illness.”
WHO’s concern regarding new COVID subvariant JN.1!
The World Health Organisation, on Tuesday, named the JN.1 COVID variant as the “variant of interest.” Health agencies have been cautious about the new variant because of the increasing number of cases globally.
According to the CDC, in the United States, around 44 percent of COVID-related cases are related to the JN.1 variant. However, the WHO outlined that the nations that are experiencing winters, including the US, might witness an upsurge in the cases.
It is to be noted that, as for now, there is no evidence that proves that JN.1 could cause more severe disease, and it is anticipated that available treatments and vaccines are effective against the variant.
Brownstein, while expressing concerns regarding the pressure on the local healthcare system, said, “That will, unfortunately, over time, create some pressure on our health system.”
Reinstate mask mandates in US states!
After witnessing a surge in cases related to respiratory viruses, some health agencies in the US have asked for the reinstating of mask mandates.
While addressing the concern, UW Health, which has been providing healthcare services in Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, took X, formerly known as Twitter and wrote, “Due to expected seasonal increase and sustained high volume of respiratory illness, we’re expanding masking requirements.”
The post further explained, “Effective 12/19, all Wisconsin staff, patients and visitors are required to mask for patient interactions in clinic settings.”
Besides this, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center facilities also ordered to make masks mandatory, according to Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE. It further stated that the authorities might adjust the protocols after monitoring the cases.
While addressing the concerns related to mask mandates, Brownstein told ABC News that the number of hospitals may increase in the coming weeks if the cases continue to show a similar trend. He also outlined that there are chances that the cases might increase following the holidays.
He was quoted saying, “Hospitals have done a lot more to understand how to deal, especially with a new element of COVID as part of the seasonal mix.”
Brownstein further mentioned, “So, there is a lot more planning, forecasting and employee safety protocols, and it can ensure that hospitals are running at maximum capacity to handle a potential influx of patients.”
Brownstein suggested doing the same things health officials have been advising during the pandemic if one is traveling or hosting holiday gatherings. This includes keeping your hands clean, getting your vaccinations, improving ventilation, and considering wearing a mask based on your own risk.
“Each individual household gathering is going to have a different mix of high-risk groups and vulnerable individuals, and we want to prepare to make sure — especially for those that are potential, serious risk and complications — that we’re managing to overall reduce that risk,” he said according to ABC News.
Further, he continued, “This is a playbook that we have gone to many times before, and so even though the impact of COVID isn’t anywhere near where it used to be, everyone has the right tools to help reduce any potential risk of these respiratory pathogens heading into the holidays.”