The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data on Wednesday to support the use of double masking – and coverings that fit the face better – to more effectively prevent the spread of COVID-19, a concept debated because more transferable variants are popping up around the world.
The new report offers several other options for better wearing a mask, including cloth masks over medical masks (which have metal pins to secure the fit), or medical procedure masks only with knotted ear loops and tucked in sides (to avoid gaps). It also emphasized that a more tapered fit of face covers was effective in preventing the virus from being transmitted or contracted.
Double masking, as well as “tying the ear loops of a medical procedure mask where they adhere to the edges of the mask and then tucking in and flattening the extra material close to the face … can improve the fit of these masks and reduce exposure of the recipient to an aerosol of simulated respiratory droplet particles of the size considered most important for transmitting SARS-CoV-2, ”noted the CDC.
“Receiver exposure was maximally reduced (> 95%) when the source and receiver were equipped with appropriate masks for medical procedures. These laboratory experiments emphasize the importance of a good fit to optimize mask performance, ”the study said.
In addition, the CDC suggests mask fitters – which are worn over the mask and tightened behind the ears or head – or a nylon cover that covers the nose and mouth and hugs the neck.
“Based on experiments measuring the filtration efficiency of different fabric masks and a mask for medical procedures … it was estimated that the better fit achieved by combining these two mask types, specifically a fabric mask over a mask for medical procedures, through exposure [more than] 90%, ”said the agency.
The official CDC guidelines on wearing masks have not been updated to reflect the new data.
At a White House COVID-19 Response Team briefing Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the British species, known as B.1.1.7, is becoming increasingly dominant in The United States. Florida and California lead the pack with reported cases of the variant.
Little is known about the spread of the B.1.351 strain, which originated in South Africa as the country continues to struggle with genomic sequencing of variants in many states.
More vaccine sites, more equality
As the Biden administration scrambles to ramp up the supply of COVID-19 vaccines, the Response Team is also adding more vaccine delivery sites to ensure that disadvantaged communities have access.
Jeff Zients, Coordinator of the Response Team, said Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), also known as community health centers, will play a critical role going forward. Known as a key asset in meeting the needs of vulnerable communities in the general health system in the US, the centers provide a path for the administration to a more equitable rollout – even when considering mobile sites.
“Equality is at the heart of our strategy to get out of this pandemic, and equality means reaching everyone, especially those in deprived and rural communities and those hardest hit by this pandemic,” said Zients.
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, chair of the administration’s COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, said there are 1,300 centers serving 30 million people. Two-thirds of those individuals are below the federal poverty line and 60% identify as a minority.
The addition of FQHCs also serves as an indication of the administration’s confidence to boost the supply of vaccines in the future.
So, in addition to the doses already assigned to states and then through the pharmacy program, we will start sending doses directly to these community health centers. But we expect a subset of FQHCs or community health centers to be able to order vaccines as early as next week, ”said Nunez-Smith.
But a concern, with ongoing chaos as some are desperate for vaccines, remains about how the government will prevent vaccination appointments from being booked by those outside the targeted neighborhood.
During Wednesday’s briefing, Nunez-Smith declined to specify how the federal government, which considers it a “top priority,” will be able to enforce such specifications.
New treatments as the vaccine supply increases
As vaccine companies continue to increase supply, other players in the industry join in. Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA) is reportedly in talks to help produce and distribute the vaccines, but has yet to provide specific information on which platforms or companies it will work with or in which regions it will produce.
The company declined to disclose additional details about plans.
Novartis (NVS) has also made itself available to discuss possible manufacturing, and Sanofi (SNY) has already agreed to produce Pfizer’s (PFE) and BioNTech (BNTX) vaccine.
The new treatments are now also coming through.
Eli Lilly (LLY) was approved for emergency use of a combination of the monoclonal antibody treatment and another experimental treatment to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 patients within 10 days of symptoms.
In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows shorter infusion times for the combo and only for the monoclonal antibody treatment, as a result of feedback from primary care health professionals, a statement said.
The infusion can be as short as 16 minutes for the solo treatment, or 21 minutes for the combination, “a significant reduction from the previously allowed time of 60 minutes,” the statement said.
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