With a recent surge in COVID-19 cases from the omicron variant, mandates are being reinstated nationwide to try and stop the spread of the highly infectious strain of the virus.
Dr. Michael Osterholm talked with News Talk 830 WCCO's Chad Hartman about mandates and what could happen with the omicron variant.
Osterholm warned again that he fears there will be a "viral blizzard" from the omicron variant as it quickly replaced delta as the variant of concern.
"We're just beginning to see the uptick here in the Twin Cities, which I think is probably seven to ten days before it really takes off," Osterholm said. "I think rural Minnesota, greater Minnesota, is a little behind that, but it won't be long before greater Minnesota has the same impact."
While there is good news with omicron causing more mild symptoms and less severe illnesses, Osterholm says it's a double-edged sword as more people are still getting sick.
"Even if it's a smaller proportion of those who have serious illness, life-threatening illness, there's so many more of them that our healthcare systems are going to be challenged," Osterholm said.
Additionally, healthcare workers are also getting sick, which leads to hospitals operating with a smaller staff, meaning that capacity is hit quicker than usual.
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"Now you have a healthcare system that is hanging on by the skin of its teeth in terms of just trying to have people there with the expertise to take care of these patients," Osterholm said. "If we lose 10 to 20% of health care workers here in Minnesota because they too get infected, this is going to be a perfect storm."
Around the country, this has already happened after a report came out of Rhode Island over the weekend that two healthcare facilities hit 'crisis' level staffing shortages which resulted in them using COVID-positive workers who had no or little symptoms without a quarantine.
The state-run hospital and private nursing home where it happened were following the Rhode Island Department of Health's guidance which is in line with the CDC's on using covid-positive workers when in dire need.
In Minneapolis and St. Paul today, it was announced that the cities would be reinstating their masking mandates. Osterholm says he agrees with the decision.
Still, people need to know the differences between a quality mask and one that gives virtually no protection.
"Don't just put a piece of cloth in front of your face," Osterholm said. "N95 respirators are readily available here in town and online. They are much more effective, and they are effective because of two things. Fit and filtration."
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Still, even with mask mandates, Osterholm acknowledged that people are going to get infected with the virus. The difference is those who are vaccinated are safer from severe illness, hospitalization, and death than those who have yet to get the shot.
Another reason he likes the mandates is the role they will play in limiting transmission and slowing the spread so that hospitals are not overrun, and people who need to see a doctor for non-COVID-related reasons are denied a room taken up by someone who is unvaccinated with COVID, Osterholm said.
"I think the mask approach will surely slow down transmission, and that's really important right now," the doctor said.
When it comes to omicron and when we might see a peak of cases from the virus, Osterholm says the next three to four weeks are going to be critical.
"I think the case numbers are going to rise substantially," Osterholm said.
However, he does mean case numbers like he used to. Now with the need for testing making it hard to find a place to test, Osterholm thinks it will be better to look at hospitalizations, needing oxygen, or being in the ICU.
"We want to keep that from going way up," the doctor said.
