BOSTON – Public health officials are urging people to wear masks during the holidays to prevent a surge in COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses and ease the burden on the state’s health care system.
The Massachusetts Medical Society, which represents doctors, is urging people to “exercise caution” by using face coverings and making sure they are up to date on their COVID-19 and flu shots.
Dr. Ted Calianos, the society’s president, said those “proven and effective measures” will help reduce the spread of COVID-19, influenza and other respiratory viruses that “are causing serious illness by putting a strain on our immune system.” health care”.
“Covid-19 is still a serious threat to individual and public health, and some patients continue to become very ill after contracting the virus,” he said in a statement.
“We recommend that anyone who has not received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past six months — young and old — receive the updated bivalent vaccine, which is effective in reducing severe illness and death and is available at no cost,” Calianos. said. “We urge anyone with questions about vaccines to speak with their health care provider.”
The seven-day average of positive tests for COVID-19 in Massachusetts has been on the rise in recent weeks, according to the state Department of Public Health.
Over the past week, 8,391 new confirmed COVID-19 infections were reported, the agency said in a report on Monday.
The state’s average seven-day test positivity rate is now 8.68% — an increase of more than 60% from last month.
Experts point out that official counts of COVID-19 cases do not provide a complete picture of the recent surge because many home test results are not reported to the government.
Hospitalizations are also rising, with 856 COVID-19 patients hospitalized with another 91 being treated in intensive care units as of Monday.
As of Tuesday, nearly every county in Massachusetts — including Essex and Middlesex — was listed as “moderate” transmission areas, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s tracking website.
Meanwhile, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus are circulating at high levels at the same time that cases of COVID-19 are increasing, straining hospital emergency departments.
The flu season has been particularly bad this year, Calianos said, but there’s still time to get the flu shot, which he said is proving to be “very effective” in reducing the risk of serious illness.
“Importantly, we strongly recommend that all those congregating indoors, whether symptomatic or not, wear high-quality, properly fitting masks and stay home when unwell,” he added. he.
Federal health officials are also urging people to help prevent outbreaks by recommending masks for anyone traveling by plane, train or bus during the holiday.
CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said at a recent briefing that the lack of any federal orders doesn’t mean people at risk shouldn’t take precautions.
“You don’t have to wait for CDC action to put on a mask,” Walensky said. “We would encourage all of those preventative measures — hand washing, staying home when you’re sick, masking, increased ventilation — during the respiratory virus season, but especially in areas with high community levels of COVID-19. “
Christian M. Wade covers Massachusetts State House newspapers and websites for North of Boston Media Group. Email it to cwade@cnhinews.com.
