Do vaccinated people have to dress up? Houston health experts respond amid COVID outbreak

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – Texas Medical Center health officials are now calling the increase in COVID-19 cases a fourth wave. On Tuesday, the president and CEO of TMC said hospitalizations had reached 90% in just a few weeks.

The more contagious Delta variant sparked new questions about masking.

If you are not vaccinated, the CDC says you absolutely must wear a mask indoors. While the CDC has said you don’t need to mask yourself indoors if you’re vaccinated, some local experts say you may want to.

At a press conference, Dr Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine discussed early research on the Delta variant. It shows that the Delta variant releases more virus than the other strains. If this turns out to be the case, it could explain why we are seeing the virus spread more and why we are seeing groundbreaking cases.

SEE ALSO: People who have been vaccinated can still get COVID, and here’s how it can happen

He said the CDC’s guidelines on masking are based more on the original strain of the virus.

“All of the advice that the Centers for Disease Control published on vaccinated people who did not need masks was more or less based on the original line, or the British variant, B.1.1.7, which had a lot made sense, and I agreed with their recommendations, ”Hotez said. “But now, if it is true that Delta is being shed in much more abundance by unvaccinated and even vaccinated individuals, we may have to think about revisiting that, and that means vaccinated individuals may want to think. to wear masks indoors, in high transmission areas.

Dr Paul Klotman, president and CEO of Baylor College of Medicine, said we will have to watch things. However, he said we may need to take a step back.

“I think right now, when you walk into a place where there are a lot of people and you can’t tell who’s vaccinated, I would wear a mask. I always wear a mask when I walk into a grocery store. “Klotman said.

As for children, the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that all children over two years old wear masks, whether or not they are vaccinated.

The organization said that opening schools generally does not significantly increase community transmission when masking and other security measures are in place.

SEE ALSO: Fully vaccinated people protected against Delta variant, but Houston doctor urges caution

“There is nothing different today than last year, at the start of the school year, regarding their risk of contracting COVID due to the total number of people in America and the number of people in Houston, which have not been vaccinated, “said Dr. James McCarthy, executive vice president and general manager of physicians at Memorial Hermann. “So, while indeed half the population has not yet been vaccinated, these children are still at risk. They are still at risk of passing it on to teachers. [and] take it home to their parents. “

Governor Greg Abbott signed an executive order stating that government entities, including schools, cannot require masking. HISD said that while it does not require students to wear masks, they are allowed.

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