Return of mask mandates make headlines. Do COVID numbers justify it?

AN ATLANTA COLLEGE IS ENFORCING A MASK MANDATE THOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN ZERO CONFIRMED CASES ON ITS CAMPUS –

BUSINESSES AND HOSPITALS ARE ALSO REINSTATING COVID RESTRICTIONS IN CALIFORNIA –

EVEN WHEN COVID-19 DATA – DOESN’T SUPPORT THE MOVE –

ACCORDING TO THE CDC’S OWN METRICS COMPARING A PERSON’S RISK LEVEL TO HOSPITALIZATION RATES.

DESPITE THIS – HEADLINES ONLINE READ

“IT MAY BE TIME TO BREAK OUT THE MASKS AGAINST COVID.”

“NEW COVID WAVE HAS BEGUN AND MASKS SHOULD BE WORN AGAIN.”

“AMERICANS AT HIGH RISK **ADVISED TO WEAR MASKS.”

THERE ARE WHISPERS OF MASKS MAKING A COMEBACK.

CELEBRITIES – LIKE JAMIE LEE CURTIS – POST PHOTOS TO INSTAGRAM MASKED UP AND URGING FOLLOWERS TO DO THE SAME.

A COMMON QUESTION DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN REFERRING TO COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS AND MANDATES  – “WHERE IS THE DATA?”

WE HAVE IT.

LET’S FIRST START IN ATLANTA WHERE MORRIS BROWN COLLEGE IS NOW REQUIRING STUDENTS TO MASK UP, SOCIAL DISTANCE, AND NO PARTIES –

CITING REPORTS OF POSITIVE CASES AMONG STUDENTS.

ALTHOUGH THE PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE HAS CONFIRMED  THERE AREN’T ANY ACTIVE COVID CASES ON CAMPUS.

ACCORDING TO THE LATEST CDC DATA IN FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA —

WHERE THE COLLEGE IS LOCATED — THERE WERE 3.2 HOSPITALIZATIONS PER 100 THOUSAND PEOPLE IN THE WEEK ENDING AUGUST 12TH.

RIGHT NOW – THE CONCERN IS ON “THE UPTICK IN HOSPITALIZATIONS.”

BECAUSE THAT IS AN 18 PERCENT INCREASE FROM THE WEEK PRIOR.

MID-JUNE IN FULTON, COUNTY –

HOSPITALIZATIONS WERE AT A NEAR ALL-TIME LOW OF .5 PER 100 THOUSAND.

THAT IS A 540 PERCENT INCREASE IN TWO MONTHS.

BUT WHILE THE PERCENTAGE COMPARISONS ARE BIG NUMBERS –

THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS IS NOT.

THAT’S NOT OUR CONCLUSION –

THAT’S FROM THE C-D-C AND GEORGIA HEALTH OFFICIALS.

DEEMING THE RISK AS – NOT MEDIUM OR HIGH — BUT **LOW.

SAME GOES FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY –

WHERE HOLLYWOOD STUDIO LIONSGATE JUST ENACTED NEW COVID RESTRICTIONS – INCLUDING MANDATORY MASK-WEARING AND QUARANTINES — AFTER SOME OF ITS EMPLOYEES TESTED POSITIVE.

ACCORDING TO MOST RECENT CDC DATA – IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY –

THERE WERE 4.6 HOSPITALIZATIONS PER 100 THOUSAND PEOPLE.

FOR REFERENCE –

IN THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC DURING 2021 –

THERE WERE 57.1 HOSPITALIZATIONS PER 100 THOUSAND PEOPLE.

AND 43 PER 100 THOUSAND AT 2022’S PEAK.

WHILE HOSPITALIZATIONS TODAY ARE UP 27 PERCENT WEEK OVER WEEK –

THAT’S BECAUSE LAST WEEK HOSPITALIZATIONS WERE AT 3.6 PER 100 HUNDRED THOUSAND.

AGAIN – LA COUNTY HEALTH OFFICIALS DEEM THIS AS LOW RISK TO THE COMMUNITY.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MAP ON THE CDC’S COVID DATA TRACKER WEBSITE.

THE COLOR GREEN INDICATES LOW RISK.

WHICH IS WHAT THE LARGE MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY IS IN.

THE YELLOW SPOTS OVER THE MAP – ARE COUNTIES WITH HOSPITALIZATION RATES BETWEEN 10 AND 19 ADMISSIONS PER 100,000 RESIDENTS.

IT ISN’T UNTIL A COUNTY HITS ORANGE – WITH HOSPITALIZATION RATES AT 20  OR MORE PER 100,000 – THAT THE CDC RECOMMENDS TO WEAR A MASK.

BUT THERE ISN’T ONE COUNTY IN THE COUNTRY SEEING A “HIGH” HOSPITALIZATION RATE.

BUT WITH NEW VARIANTS AND A FALL SEASON UPON US WITH KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL –

THESE NUMBERS ARE LIKELY TO CHANGE.

AND CURRENTLY – THEY ARE INCREASING.

BUT SINCE WE’RE COMING OFF OF AN ALL-TIME LOW IN CASES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS –

IT’S UNKNOWN WHETHER IT WILL DEVELOP INTO A WAVE.