Americans at high risk advised to wear masks as new Covid variant detected

CDC said that scientists discovered a new coronavirus variant, BA 2.86, and that higher-risk individuals should be cautious

Victoria Bekiempis

As authorities revealed that a new Covid-19 variant has been detected in the US, medical experts are emphasizing that high-risk persons resume masking to prevent potentially deadly infection. Warnings from these physicians come amid an ongoing increase in Covid-19 hospitalizations.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that scientists have discovered a new coronavirus variant, BA 2.86, during routine monitoring of wastewater. Officials said that this variant’s “large number of mutations” has prompted concerns that it could evade immunity derived from vaccination and prior infections more than other variants.

While the CDC said it was “too soon” to know whether BA 2.86 will lead to more severe illness in comparison to other variants, officials said that data from locations where it has been discovered have not shown any signs that it is particularly virulent. These areas have not seen signs of increased transmission – such as higher infection rates or emergency room visits – though CDC officials note it was “too soon” to analyze BA 2.86’s impacts based on these data.

In addition to two known BA 2.86 cases in the US, this variant has been found in other countries such as Denmark and Israel. Public health officials said, however, that current treatments for Covid-19 such as Paxlovid, Veklury and Lagevrio will still work against BA 2.86.

The emergence of this variant comes as hospitalizations have increased – and could accelerate further. It remains unclear, however, whether this variant would prompt a potential increase in hospitalizations.

One physician said that higher-risk persons should be especially cautious amid this Covid-19 uptick, including Joe Biden, who is 80. “Octogenarians comprise the highest-risk group for complications following Covid infection,” cardiologist Dr Jonathan Reiner told CNN. “At least until the numbers start to drop again, it would be appropriate for President Biden to take some precautions and wear a mask in crowds.”

Dr Robert Wachter, who chairs the University of California San Francisco’s department of medicine, felt that increasing Covid-19 rates underscored the importance of precautions.

“Hospitalizations have not yet doubled, but I think they probably will, as the numbers lag a couple of weeks behind,” Wachter told CNN. “It’s riskier that you will get infected now than it was a month or two ago, without question, probably twice as risky. If you’re trying to be careful, it’s time to whip out the mask again.

“In addition, most people haven’t gotten a booster for a while, so the collective immunity is lower than it was six months ago,” Wachter also said to the network. “The virus sees that and sees most faces and noses and mouths are uncovered and unprotected, so it takes advantage of that opportunity.”

Mask mandates have returned in some areas and institutions across the US. One major San Francisco, California-area healthcare facility has temporarily resumed a mask mandate for persons on premises, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Two major hospitals in upstate New York resumed mandatory masking last week following an increase in cases, Syracuse.com said. In Atlanta, Morris Brown College said that it would reinstitute a mask mandate for two weeks – as well as barring parties and large events, per CBS News; the Hollywood Film Studio Lionsgate has also resumed requiring masks for almost half of its employees in its Santa Monica office.