According to US media on the 11th, during the holidays, COVID-19, influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) swept across the United States. The "triple epidemic" was rampant, and the number of infected cases soared. American public health officials began to revisit the topic of wearing masks indoors, and suggested that people living in high-risk areas wear masks indoors.
According to the National Public Radio (NPR), in the past few weeks, COVID-19, influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have been rampant, causing millions of Americans to become ill. At present, the supply of cold medicine in the United States is in short supply, the emergency room of the hospital is overcrowded, and the national medical system has been overwhelmed.
According to the latest COVID-19 epidemic map released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 10% of the counties in the United States are at high risk. The agency recommends that residents living in high-risk areas should wear masks indoors, but children under 2 years of age are generally not recommended to wear masks.
In Washington State, county health officials and hospital executives issued the latest guidance, requiring residents to wear masks indoors.
The Oregon Department of Health also recommends that residents wear masks in crowded indoor areas, especially to protect children and the elderly. Oregon epidemiologists said that under the influence of the "triple epidemic", there was a shortage of hospital ICU beds, which never happened even when the COVID-19 epidemic was the most severe.
Last week, Los Angeles County, California, was upgraded to a high-risk area of the COVID-19 epidemic. The local health director urged residents to wear masks indoors, adding that if the number of COVID-19 infections and hospital admissions continued to rise, residents might be forced to wear masks.
In New York City, health officials also advise local residents to wear masks in public spaces such as shops, public transportation vehicles and schools.
At present, except Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia, almost every state includes at least one COVID-19 County with high or medium risk.