CDC Encourages Masking, Other Precautions as Respiratory Viruses Surge

With respiratory viruses surging, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering adding new metrics into its guidelines for certain health recommendations, like masking. But for now, the agency is encouraging everyone, particularly those at high community levels for COVID, to mask up and take added precautions in the lead-up to the holidays.

The director for the CDC, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said during a call with reporters Monday that the agency is "actively looking into" whether or not flu and RSV levels should be added to its guidance.

"In the meantime, what I do want to say is one may not wait for CDC action in order to put a mask on," Walensky said. "So we do know that 5% of the population are living in places with a high COVID-19 community level we do encourage people to mask. We know that 32% of jurisdictions or populations are areas with medium COVID-19 community levels and so we would encourage all of those preventive measures - hand washing, staying home when you're sick, masking, increased ventilation - during respiratory virus season, but especially in areas of high COVID-19 community levels."

The situation is troubling in nearly the whole country, with 47 states listed in either the "high" or "very high" category when it comes to respiratory illnesses, according to CDC data.

COVID cases have jumped in recent weeks and flu hospitalizations are now at a level not seen in a decade.

In Illinois, 12 of the state's 102 counties have now reached a "high" community level, according to data updated weekly by the CDC. Another 51 counties, including Cook, Lake, DuPage and McHenry, were at a "medium" COVID community level. Will, Kane, Grundy and Kendall counties are reporting "low" community levels.

At medium status, anyone at high risk of getting seriously ill should wear a high-quality mask or respirator, such as an N95, when in public indoors. Additionally, if you have contact with someone else at high risk, consider self-testing to detect infection before contact, according to the CDC.

At a high community level, the CDC recommends everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear masks in public settings.

Last week, Illinois saw its largest single-day number of COVID-19 cases since August as officials report the expected post-Thanksgiving rise.

COVID case numbers have been on a steady rise for the past few months, with the seven-day case rate almost doubling between October and December. The seven-day rolling average was 12.2 cases per 100,000 residents on Oct. 3 before increasing to 17.1 a month later and 23.4 by Dec. 3.

When it comes to another key metric, hospitalizations, the numbers have more than doubled since the start of October.

Flu hospitalizations are also at a decade high across the country in what public health officials say demonstrates "the significantly earlier flu season we are experiencing."

Illinois is currently listed among the states with "very high" flu activity. Activity was considered "high" statewide as of the week ending Nov. 5, according to the CDC's Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report. Indiana was listed at "medium," while Wisconsin was said to be "low" for flu activity.

Nationwide, approximately 78,000 people have been hospitalized with the flu since the start of October. Around 19,500 were newly hospitalized in the week ending Nov. 27, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services — nearly double the number of flu hospitalizations reported the week prior.

The CDC estimates that the flu has already caused 8.7 million illnesses since Oct. 1. That's close to the 9 million cases estimated for the entire 2021-22 flu season.

Flu deaths are already approaching last season's total as well. The CDC estimates this year's toll to be at least 4,500 since Oct. 1, compared to 5,000 in all of last season. Last week, two children died from the illness, bringing the pediatric death toll for the season so far to 14.

But, in some good news, cases of RSV have showed signs of plateauing in the Midwest following an earlier-than-usual surge, according to Walensky, who added that some regions are seeing the start of a potential decline.

Still, the CDC noted that respiratory viruses as a whole continue to spread at high levels nationwide and even in areas where RSV may be decreasing, "hospital systems continue to be stretched with high numbers of patients with other respiratory illnesses."

Chicago-area health officials have also been encouraging indoor masking as the situation continues to evolve.

"I really recommend masking indoors in public places, grocery stores, movie theaters - any place indoors," said Dr. Sharon Welbel, the director of Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control for Cook County Health. "I'd really still consider masking, even if one isn't immunocompromised or at risk for having severe disease, because one can always spread it to others. So it would be to protect other people as well as to protect yourself."

She also urged people to practice good hand hygiene, to stay home if you're sick and to stay up-to-date with vaccines for both influenza and COVID.