ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — If you are confused by the new COVID-19 mask guidance from the CDC, you’re not alone.
The new metrics are more complex than before, so we asked Dr. Jason Salemi at USF to explain the differences between the new and the old.
Essentially, the old guidance was based on community transmission of the virus. Risk was determined with the number of cases per capita and positivity.
“What they’ve changed that to is more of markers of severe illness and hospital burden, so now instead of cases per capita, they focus on new hospital admissions for COVID-19 per capita and then the percentage of all patients beds that are occupied by a COVID-19 patient,” Dr. Salemi said.
There are some pros and cons. The number of cases and positivity is based on testing behavior. With more people using at-home tests that likely are not reported to the CDC, the cases and positivity might not represent what’s actually happening in the community.
Dr. Salemi points out the county level metric is not really at the county level because hospitalizations are reported based on where people are hospitalized and not where they live.
"We know in Florida there are counties without a major hospital, so the way that the CDC accommodates that to try and still calculate a meaningful hospitalization rate, is to do it regionally," Dr. Salemi said.
That means that some counties are bundled together like Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando.
He adds, “My concern is that by just focusing on hospitalization metrics, although those are measures of severe illness and hospital burden undoubtedly, they are a little bit of a lagging indicator, so if we were to see a big surge in infections, hospitalizations are five to seven days down the road.”
Right now, whether you look at the old or the new metrics, masks would be recommended in the Tampa Bay area. You can check the CDC website for how things look and whether you should wear a mask or ask your doctor about your level of risk.
“Everything is situational dependent, no matter what color or shade or risk level your county is in. Depending on your situation, the people you have around you, there’s nothing wrong with taking additional precautions, wearing a mask when you’re going in public indoor settings,” Dr. Salemi said.