SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Bay Area COVID-19 infections remain high, but health experts predict we won't see mask requirements return any time soon, if at all.
For more, stream KCBS Radio now.
Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Regional Campuses at UCSF, told KCBS Radio's "Ask An Expert" the BA.5, BA.4 and BA.2.75 subvariants are having a milder effect on people than the original omicron or delta variants.
"It's a little bit different from a year ago when we probably would have brought out these masks at a population level very, very easily and the big difference is that, although people are being infected and reinfected possibly with BA.5, they’re not going to the hospital in the same way," he explained.
Compared to January, the rate of serious COVID-19 infection is much lower.
"Right now, today at UCSF in the four hospitals, we have about 48 or 49 patients with COVID hospitalized," Chin-Hong said. "About half of them are actually sick with COVID, the other half are coming in with something else. In January we had 150 patients."
During the first omicron surge, many patients who were hospitalized needed to be admitted to the ICU, but with recent subvariant case spikes, the number of patients requiring ICU treatment has subsided.
However, if Bay Area hospitalizations increase, Chin-Hong said it is possible that a mask mandate could be reinstated, but admitted it is unlikely.
"It will be surprising if we really get to that level, given the fact that we've seen really high levels of virus for many weeks now, more than a month," he explained, "You say 'okay we'll wait two weeks to see what happens to the hospitals’ and so far they've been moderate, but not high, and stable for a long period of time."
Currently, the California Department of Public Health still "strongly recommends" that KN95, KF94, N95 or surgical masks be worn indoors in public settings and businesses.
DOWNLOAD the Audacy App
SIGN UP and follow KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
