Between the release of the CDC’s new recommendations regarding masking, rising COVID infections, and talks about the Delta variant, there is plenty to think about as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Last week, the Center for Disease Control updated their guidance on what those who are fully vaccinated could do as the Delta variant becomes a rising concern across the nation.
“The Delta variant is showing every day, its willingness to outsmart us and to be an opportunist in areas where we have not shown a fortified response against it.” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a briefing last week, “ This week, our data showed that Delta remains the predominant variant circulating in the United States. Eight in ten sequence samples contain the Delta variance.”
The updates to the CDC guidance say that fully vaccinated individuals should “wear masks in public indoor settings to help prevent the spread of the Delta variant and protect others”, and that “everyone in K to 12 schools wear a mask indoors, including teachers, staff, students, and visitors, regardless of vaccination status”.
For parents wondering if they will need to send their student to school wearing a mask, the choice falls entirely on the parent as last year state legislation was passed that prevents schools from mandating masks in schools unless Governor Kevin Stitt declares a state of emergency, a move Gov. Stitt said he does not plan to make.
“This is about personal responsibility. This is about freedoms,” Gov. Stitt said. “We’re not going to mandate that someone else has to send their four-year-old to school with a mask or get vaccinated.”
The CDC also said that children should return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with proper prevention strategies in place, something for which Cordell Superintendent Brad Overton said Cordell Schools is prepared.
“I believe our Return to Learn plan addresses our strategies for returning to school safely,” Overton said. “We are prepared to enter the school and take as many safety precautions as necessary in order to provide the safest environment for our students and staff… I realize that the new recommendations will worry some parents, last year showed us that the transmission of the virus was very minimal if any at school. I still believe that school is a very safe environment for students.”
Overton said the schools will keep many of the precautions in place from last year and monitor and adjust as needed. The Return to Learn plan will be discussed and possible changes will be made at the next school board meeting on August 10.
As COVID restrictions across the nation and state have begun to ease since the distribution of the vaccine, some health officials such as Cordell Memorial Hospital Administrator Melinda Laird believe this has led many Oklahomans to feel as though the pandemic is over.
“That couldn’t be further from the truth,” she said in a statement put out last week. “We must remain vigilant against the virus we know and the variants we might not yet know, which includes getting vaccinated to protect ourselves, our families, and our neighbors.”
As it currently stands, Washita County has had 1,119 cases in total with 1,073 of them recovered. Approximately 40% of the population 12 years or older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
As the CDC has said, unvaccinated individuals should get vaccinated and continue masking until they are fully vaccinated in areas with substantial and high transmission, a criterion that almost 100% of Oklahoma counties fall into with Washita county being classified as an area with high transmission.
According to Community Engagement and Health Planning Manager Debra E. Johnson of Community Health District 5, vaccine uptake has fluctuated some in recent weeks, but the presence of the Delta variant in Oklahoma and increased efforts to ensure the vaccine is accessible has resulted in a slight uptick over the past couple of weeks.
“The uptick in recent case numbers do correlate with areas with a lower rate of vaccination. This is particularly true among the 12-34 age group, making them especially at risk to variants,” Johnson said. “For those who do not plan to get vaccinated, mitigation efforts are vital such as social distancing, wearing a mask when indoors if social distancing isn’t feasible, and staying home when sick or exposed to a positive COVID case.”
As the spread of the Delta variant continues, health officials such as Johnson said it should be of concern to residents due to the higher rate of transmission, making it more contagious. Its impact on children compared to the alpha variant has also raised some concerns.
“The Delta variant is overwhelming communities in parts of Oklahoma and surrounding states, and health facilities are making plans for if we may experience additional strains on health resources in our communities,” Cordell Memorial Hospital DO Bob Abernathy said in a statement last week. “Positive COVID tests and COVID hospitalizations are unquestionably increasing, and, unlike last year, we are now seeing more common and more severe cases in children. We can’t emphasize enough the importance of getting vaccinated as soon as possible to get this deadly virus under control.”
In the end, a point to remember is that the COVID vaccine does not prevent individuals from getting COVID. The vaccine prevents individuals from severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
As the CDC has said, the vast majority of transmission has been occurring amongst unvaccinated individuals with some health officials earlier this year saying that most hospitalizations and deaths have also been from those unvaccinated.
“A fully vaccinated individual can spread the virus to others,” Johnson said. “Contracting the virus after being vaccinated is known as a “breakthrough case.” This is only occurring in a very small percentage of the population in Oklahoma (0.09%) but is something that is seen with all vaccines… We have seen that the vaccines currently available do provide protection with the variants identified.”
For those interested in getting the COVID-19 vaccine, it has been made available to all Oklahomans 12 years and older with every county health department offering it on a walk-in basis. Those in Cordell wanting to get the vaccine can do so by scheduling an appointment by calling Cordell Family Health Clinic, at 580-832-3838, as well as through walk-ins with the health department mobile units.