The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data on Wednesday to support the use of a double mask – and covers that fit the face best – to more effectively prevent the spread of COVID-19 , a concept that has been debated as more transmissible variants emerge around the world.
The new report provides several other options for better use of the mask, including cloth masks over medical masks (which have metal pins to ensure fit) or medical procedure masks alone with knotted ear straps and folded sides (to avoid gaps) ). He also emphasized that a more tapered adjustment of facial coverage was effective in preventing transmission or contraction of the virus.
The double mask, as well as “tying the ear straps of a medical procedure mask where they attach to the edges of the mask and then attaching and smoothing the extra material close to the face … can improve the fit of these masks and reduce the exposure of the receptor to an aerosol of simulated respiratory droplet particles of the size considered most important for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, ”noted the CDC.
“The exposure of the receiver was reduced to the maximum (> 95%) when the source and the receiver were equipped with modified medical procedure masks. These laboratory-based experiments highlight the importance of a good fit to optimize the performance of the mask, ”said the study.
In addition, the CDC suggests mask adapters – which are worn over the mask and tightened behind the ears or head – or a nylon sleeve that covers the nose and mouth and embraces the neck.
“Based on experiments that measured the filtration efficiency of various cloth masks and a medical procedure mask … it was estimated that the best fit obtained by combining these two types of mask, specifically a cloth mask over a mask of medical procedure, could reduce exposure by [more than] 90%, ”said the agency.
CDC’s official guidance on the use of the mask has not been updated to reflect the new data.
In a briefing by the White House COVID-19 Response Team on Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the UK strain, known as B.1.1.7, is becoming more and more dominant in the USA. Currently, Florida and California lead the group with reported cases of the variant.
Little is known about the spread of strain B.1.351, which originated in South Africa, as the country continues to struggle with the genomic sequencing of variants in many states.
More vaccine locations, more equity
With the Biden administration moving forward to increase the supply of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Response Team is also adding more vaccine administration sites to help ensure access for underserved communities.
Response team coordinator Jeff Zients said that federally qualified health centers (FQHC), also known as community health centers, will play a crucial role in the future. Known as a critical resource to address the needs of vulnerable communities in the United States’ general health system, the centers provide management with a path to more equitable implementation – even considering mobile locations.
“Equity is central to our strategy to put this pandemic behind us, and equity means that we are reaching everyone, especially those in needy and rural communities and those who have been hardest hit by this pandemic,” said Zients.
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, chairman of the administration’s Equity in Health Task Force COVID-19, said there are 1,300 centers serving 30 million people. Of these individuals, two-thirds are below the federal poverty line and 60% identify themselves as minorities.
The addition of FQHCs also serves as an indication of management’s confidence in increasing the supply of vaccines in the future.
“So, in addition to the doses that have already been allocated to the states and later through the pharmacy program, we are going to start sending the doses directly to these community health posts. But we anticipate that a subset of FQHCs or community health centers will be able to start ordering vaccines next week, ”said Nunez-Smith.
But the concern, with continued chaos as some desperately seek vaccines, remains about how the government will prevent vaccine appointments from being scheduled by individuals outside the target neighborhood.
During the meeting on Wednesday, Nunez-Smith declined to specify how the federal government, which sees it as a “top priority”, will be able to enforce those specifications.
New treatments as vaccine supply increases
While vaccine companies continue to increase supply, other players in the industry are joining the effort. Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA) is reportedly in talks to help produce and distribute vaccines, but has not yet given details on which platforms or companies it will work with or in which regions it will produce.
The company declined to reveal additional details about the plans.
Novartis (NVS) has also made itself available to discuss manufacturing potential, and Sanofi (SNY) has already agreed to produce the Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech (BNTX) vaccine.
Meanwhile, new treatments are also coming.
Eli Lilly (LLY) has received emergency use authorization for a combination of its monoclonal antibody treatment and another experimental treatment to treat patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 within 10 days after symptoms.
In addition, the Food and Drug Administration is allowing shorter infusion times for the combination and only for treatment with monoclonal antibody, as a result of feedback from frontline healthcare professionals, according to a statement.
The infusion could be as short as 16 minutes for the solo treatment, or 21 minutes for the combination, “a significant reduction from the previously authorized time of 60 minutes,” the statement said.
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