San Juan Basin Public Health recommends masks as COVID-19 variant spreads – The Durango Herald

Fast-spreading delta variant invites new directions

The recommendation to wear masks – for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people – has come back to the fore in Archuleta and La Plata counties.

San Juan Basin Public Health updated its recommendation for both counties on Thursday to match the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The local health department has not issued an order requiring the wearing of masks.

The CDC recommended people mask themselves in public and indoor places – regardless of their immunization status – in an announcement this week. The agency has changed its focus based on the rapid spread of a variant of the coronavirus, dubbed the delta variant.

“With the delta variant spreading in our community, it is more important than ever to get immunized immediately to protect yourself and your family from serious illness,” said Liane Jollon, Executive Director of SJBPH. “Until the level of infection in our community drops, we urge you to follow public health advisories whether or not you are vaccinated. This includes wearing a mask in businesses and keeping 6 feet away between households. “

The CDC recommends that fully vaccinated people wear masks if they are in an area of ​​”substantial” or “high” transmission, which is defined by the number of cases per 100,000 people. The CDC identifies La Plata County as having “substantial” transmission of COVID-19 and Archuleta County with “high” transmission on Thursday, according to a press release from SJBPH.

La Plata County had 4,306 cases of COVID-19 in total as of Thursday, including about 285 in the past two months. Of these, 145 were reported in July. Archuleta County had 1,146 cases in total, of which 162 were reported in the past two months and 104 were reported in July.

Viruses are constantly changing by mutation and developing variants. The CDC monitored these variants for changes in the severity of the resulting symptoms, their infectivity, and any impact on treatment effectiveness.

The delta variant is one of four variants of concern identified by the CDC. The rapidly spreading virus quickly became the dominant variant in the United States.

In Colorado, 95% of randomly selected positive tests were cases of the delta variant, and it is believed to be the dominant variant in La Plata and Archuleta counties, according to SJBPH.

Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people are vulnerable to the delta variant. Most new infections are found among people who have not received a COVID-19 vaccine.

For fully vaccinated people, infections occur in a small proportion of people, even with the delta variant, the CDC said based on preliminary results. “Breakthrough” infections tend to have mild symptoms, and vaccines still offer strong protection against severe symptoms, hospitalization, and death.

However, vaccinated people who catch the delta variant can pass it on to others, early evidence shows. In the past, vaccines seemed to limit the contagiousness of vaccinated people when they were infected with other variants of the virus.

SJBPH, in agreement with the CDC, also recommended masks for people 2 years of age and older. Previously, the mask recommendation included people aged 10 and over.

Both health entities have strongly advised schools and higher education institutions to require face coverings for all people in covered schools.

The Department of Health has recommended the vaccine to anyone who has not received it. Those who received the first injection of a two-dose vaccine should also complete their vaccination series.

The SJBPH also continued to recommend additional precautions in indoor public spaces, such as a 6-foot distance, ventilation improvements and symptom screening.

Fully vaccinated people should get tested if they show symptoms of COVID-19 or three to five days after known exposure. They should also wear a mask in public and indoor places for 14 days after exposure or until a negative test result.

People who are immunocompromised should wear a mask, maintain a social distance of 6 feet, and avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces, regardless of their immunization status.

SJBPH reminded parents to get eligible students immunized immediately to have as much immunity as possible from the first day of school. Young people between the ages of 12 and 17 are only eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, and the two-dose series takes at least five weeks from the first shot for people to complete the series and achieve maximum immunity, according to the press release. SJBPH.

The full schedule of vaccination clinics, pop-ups and mobile clinics is available online at www.sjbpublichealth.org with dates and times available in Archuleta and La Plata counties.

“The renewed commitment to masks will provide additional protection with the spread of the more transmissible delta variant,” Jollon said. “It has been a long road and we recognize that people are tired of the pandemic. But the best way to reduce your chances of contracting and spreading COVID-19 is to get immunized immediately and wear a mask in indoor public places. “

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