By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Wood County’s COVID case numbers continue to creep upward – and as of today they reached high enough levels that people are being advised to dig out their masks for indoor areas.
Two days ago, Wood County Health Commissioner Ben Robison warned that while the county’s COVID numbers were headed upward, they were still at the “moderate” level.
But by today, the county had crossed over into the “substantial” transmission level – meaning local residents are advised once again to wear masks.
It’s impossible to predict how long this heightened risk will last, Robison said today.
“Cases tend to create an arc, and right now we’re in an incline – and right now we don’t know where that will peak,” he said.
Since Monday, Wood County reported 37 new cases, one more death and two more hospitalizations due to COVID. Since COVID first arrived last year, 230 Wood County residents have died from the disease.
Robison knows the advisory to wear masks again will not be popular.
“Like others, I was excited to take my mask off,” as the COVID numbers dropped in Wood County, he said. “No one thinks this is exciting.”
Robison stressed that wearing masks correctly is vital. “It’s always important to have your mask cover your nose and your mouth,” he said.
The CDC’s threshold for “substantial” transmission is 50 or more cases per 100,000 people in a seven-day period or a test positivity rate of 8% or higher. Wood County has recorded 54 cases per 100,000 people in the past seven days (71 total cases) and has a test positivity rate of 6.16%.
In its updated guidance, the CDC recommends that everyone, including fully vaccinated people, wear masks in indoor public settings in communities with substantial or high transmission. This includes employers, retailers, restaurants and bars, fitness and recreational centers, libraries, governmental entities, healthcare facilities and other public venues.
According to the Wood County Health Department, adding a mask indoors will help further protect those who can’t yet get the vaccine, including children under 12 and people with health conditions that limit the effectiveness of the vaccine.
These guidelines were established to limit the spread of COVID-19 in response to the Delta variant, which is driving an increase in cases across the U.S. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, according to the health department. Even with the Delta variant, only a small proportion of fully vaccinated people get infected. When they do, most of these cases are mild.
Robison expressed some concern about the influx of Bowling Green State University students when they return later this month.
“I don’t want to blame university students for returning,” he explained. But the student population adds 10% more people to the county’s population.
“Adding 10% more cases will drive our numbers up,” Robison said.
The rule of thumb had been that those who were fully vaccinated could shed their masks. But the Delta variant has changed that.
The Delta variant spreads much faster – “about twice as transmissible as what we saw last fall,” Robison said. And it can be spread from fully vaccinated people to others.
The good news for vaccinated people is that they aren’t likely to get seriously ill or die from the Delta variant of COVID.
According to Robison, just 1% to 3% of those hospitalized and 1% of deaths from the Delta variant involve fully vaccinated people.
By applying all the tools available – getting vaccinated, masking, distancing and limiting indoor gatherings – the spread of COVID-19 can be reduced in Wood County. Stay informed by checking the website, woodcountyhealth.org, for updated information.
