Nordlund said the CDC has reported the case to state health officials that have jurisdiction over where the conference was held. According to attendees, many people who attended the rally were not wearing masks, social distancing, or taking other precautions recommended by the CDC early in the pandemic. .
less than 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases It was reported across the United States last week. This is the lowest level in almost two years. But public health experts warn that the vast majority of cases have not been tracked, and many Americans are testing at home and choosing not to report their results. is also on track to become one of the top 10 causes of death this year, with deaths concentrated among the elderly and immunocompromised.
Experts say coronavirus cases occur at CDC meeting — first time Meeting of sick detectives shows the — held in person for four years Persistence Evolving virus. A four-day conference for Epidemic Intelligence Service employees and alumni held near CDC headquarters in Atlanta last week attracted nearly 2,000 attendees who are likely to be fully vaccinated. rice field.
“Unfortunately, this is the new normal,” Weill Cornell Medicine infectious disease expert Jay Varma wrote in a text message. It is disturbing to see , but this is perhaps the clearest example of the global situation.”
Varma added that individuals and organizations should continue to take coronavirus precautions to protect themselves and the most vulnerable when necessary. I hope that organizers of home-based meetings should, at a minimum, have quality masks as abundant as toilet paper and ensure adequate ventilation and disinfection of the air,” he wrote. I’m here.
Nordlund said about 35 people associated with the conference had reported positive tests as of Tuesday.
“Conducting a rapid investigation now will help us understand the outbreaks that have occurred, and will help us emerge from the public health emergency and prepare for the future as we move to the next phase of COVID-19 surveillance and response. It will help improve public health guidance,” she wrote. “Anytime there is a large gathering, especially indoors such as at a conference, COVID-19 can spread, even during times of low community spread.”
Conference attendees also received an email from the CDC encouraging them to participate in an investigation with the Georgia Department of Health, according to an email shared with The Washington Post.
“If you attended the meeting in person, you could have been exposed to someone with COVID-19,” the email read. “If you have symptoms, we recommend that you follow CDC guidance for isolation and testing.”
The Biden administration has scaled back its response to the pandemic, with most federal vaccine mandates and the coronavirus public health emergency due to be lifted next week. Public health experts say the danger of a pandemic has largely receded, but they remain wary of future variants, pointing out that the virus continues to evolve.
for example, A new omicron subvariant, XBB.1.16, nicknamed Arcturus, is becoming more common across the United States.Latest CDC tracker shows variant created Nearly 12% of cases nationwide The week ending April 29 is up from about 7% for the week ending April 15. Currently, most of the infections in the US come from XBB.1.5, also an omicron variant.
