时间:2025-04-26 17:44:26 来源:网络整理编辑:熱點
There's an excellent reason why the United States' top infectious disease expert isn't gathering wit
There's an excellent reason why the United States' top infectious disease expert isn't gathering with family outside his home for Thanksgiving this year.
Infected people without symptoms, who might feel well, continue to unwittingly spread the coronavirus on a large scale.
In fact, the CDC recently released an updated scientific brief noting the coronavirus — which has already killed well over a quarter of a million Americanssince February — is spread mostly by people who are asymptomatic or presymptomatic (meaning they don't yet have symptoms). That's a big reason why the public health agency recommends everyone wear masks in public, and also suggests only celebrating Thanksgiving with people in your household.
The coronavirus is an especially insidious parasite because the hosts (us) often don't know we're carrying a pathogen that's actively multiplying in our respiratory tract. There can be no telltale symptoms.
"This means, at least half of new infections come from people likely unaware they are infectious to others," the CDC noted in a separate report about transmission and masks, updated Nov. 16. Specifically, some 24 percent of those who transmit the virus will never show symptoms, and 35 percent are pre-symptomatic. (Though the total number of infected people who are asymptomatic is between 40 to 45 percent, yet not everyone is out transmitting the disease.)
Some might argue that people can "safely" visit family members on Thanksgiving by promptly getting tested, and testing negative, before strolling into someone's house to enjoy a long feast. This is wrong. Generally, it takes days for the virus to potentially show detectable levels in a diagnostic test (like a PCR test, which tests for genetic material). Sure, you could test negative a day after flying somewhere. But that's meaningless.
"For example, it’s not a good idea to fly into Boston on a crowded flight, get a COVID-19 diagnostic test within a day or two of arrival, and then, based on a negative result, visit your elderly grandparents," according to MIT Medical, a medical clinic in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "The only thing that negative test can tell you is that, at that particular moment in time, your sample did not show viral levels high enough to be reliably measured."
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
There is undoubtedly "light at the end of the tunnel" when it comes to fighting COVID-19, specifically from promising vaccine candidates. But the first vaccinations, if given emergency FDA approval, won't begin until December, and many Americans likely won't receive vaccinations for many months, perhaps sometime in spring, according to Dr. Anthonly Fauci, the head of infectious diseases at the National Institutes of Health.
That's why masks remain vital, and gathering indoors with others during a nationwide third surge remains foolish. Reported cases are increasing, significantly, nearly everywhere. At least we know wearing masks in public spaces, like when we're grocery shopping, vastly reduces the spread of the coronavirus. Here's a salient example: In Kansas, counties that implemented a mask mandate since July 3 saw a six percent decrease in COVID-19 cases. In sharp contrast, counties with no mandate saw a 100 percent increasein cases, according to the CDC.
SEE ALSO:How to celebrate the holidays alone, from Thanksgiving to ChristmasBut at the Thanksgiving table, the masks will come off. The virus is powerless without us, relying on hosts to spread, which we do by talking, breathing, sneezing, and beyond. We give the virus power.
"This is a virus that we know is very happy to take advantage of people being careless," Dr. Vince Silenzio, an M.D. and professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health, told Mashable.
What Dr. Fauci's doing for Thanksgiving
'It's like a f*cking horror movie:' Healthcare workers vent about COVID-19 conspiracy theorists
COVID-19 patients are developing ‘brain fog.’ But what does that mean?
TopicsHealthCOVID-19
Donald Trump's tangled web of Russian influence2025-04-26 17:22
韓媒 :武磊領跑射手榜中國卻幾乎出局 拚盡全力沒有回報2025-04-26 17:19
國足也能享受世界杯福利? FIFA大數據將向全世界開放2025-04-26 17:14
天津津門虎4比3絕殺申花 熱身賽連克上海雙雄2025-04-26 17:08
You will love/hate Cards Against Humanity's new fortune cookies2025-04-26 17:07
日韓周報 :孫興慜造4球狀態火熱 久保健英絕殺馬競2025-04-26 16:50
曝青島隊隊員表態不解決欠薪不進入賽區 現場外援情緒激動2025-04-26 16:44
萊萬輕鬆斬獲德甲本輪最佳 2進球助力拜仁4分領跑2025-04-26 16:07
Pokémon Go is so big that it has its own VR porn parody now2025-04-26 15:36
曼城VS萊比錫首發:德布勞內領銜 格拉利什福登出戰2025-04-26 15:21
17 questions you can answer if you're a good communicator2025-04-26 17:15
伊布:梅西強過C羅是自然的力量 意甲爭冠3月再看2025-04-26 16:53
曝費內巴切欲聘請比利奇 正等待他與國安老板會麵結果2025-04-26 16:38
曝費內巴切欲聘請比利奇 正等待他與國安老板會麵結果2025-04-26 16:35
This weird squid looks like it has googly eyes, guys2025-04-26 16:18
薑至鵬 :左後衛最欣賞馬塞洛 目標就是更多上場比賽2025-04-26 15:54
原天津泰達足球俱樂部董事長董文勝 、總經理李廣益被查2025-04-26 15:33
曝體育總局將直管中國女足 足協職責由管理變為保障2025-04-26 15:29
Felix the cat just raised £5000 for charity because she's the hero we all need2025-04-26 15:28
4 really weird things you can do in 'Palworld'2025-04-26 15:21