Health Experts On How To Minimize COVID-19 Risks As Nevada Gradually Reopens

Nevada is more than one week into the second phase of the reopening of the economy after coronavirus closures. Many are venturing out of the safety of home to casinos, churches, work and more.

But that doesn’t mean citizens should let their guard down in the fight against the virus, health experts say. “We are still in the middle of a pandemic, so protecting oneself from potential infection is really important,” said Dr. Deborah Kuhls, president of the Clark County Medical Society.

Staying home indefinitely until there’s a vaccine or cure is not feasible for most.

The good news is that the prevalence of the virus in the population is lower than it was eight weeks ago, even though there have been more reported cases, said Brian Labus, an epidemiologist at the UNLV School of Public Health.

“The reason you’re seeing the amount of cases increase is because we’re doing a better job of finding (the virus), not necessarily because there’s more disease,” he said. “If you look at hospitalizations over the past few weeks, it’s decreased.”

The daily growth rate of new cases has also gone down since April, hovering at around 2%, according to the Nevada Health Response. But the test positivity rate increased slightly for the first time on Tuesday since it started to decline in April, from 5.4 to 5.5%. Still, this most recent uptick is not expected to break the overall declining trend.

“Simply passing someone in the grocery store is obviously not going to be the same risk as living with someone or working in an office with them,” Labus said.

Still, despite some conflicting reports, asymptomatic spread of the virus is still a risk, he said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about a third of coronavirus infections may be asymptomatic. The organization also estimates that 40% of virus transmission occurs before people start feeling sick.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s technical lead for coronavirus response and head of its emerging zoonotic diseases unit, seemed to contradict that notion this week when she told reporters in Geneva that “it still seems to be rare that an asymptomatic person actually transmits onward to a secondary individual.”

She later clarified her statement in saying that it is still “a major unknown” how prevalent asymptomatic or presymptomatic spread really is.

“The majority of transmission that we know about is that people who have symptoms transmit the virus to other people through infectious droplets — but there are a subset of people who don’t develop symptoms, and to truly understand how many people don’t have symptoms, we don’t actually have that answered yet,” Van Kerkhove said during a live Q&A.

In general, the same public health guidelines — frequent hand-washing, not touching the mouth or eyes, wiping down surfaces, protecting immunocompromised individuals — should persist.

Even in places that don’t require it, Kuhls encourages to practice social distancing, wear a mask, and relegate most group outings to the outdoors.

It also matters who you are spending your time with. She advises folks to establish a “closed circle” of people who have all agreed to minimize contact with others.

“If possible, know the people you are closest to,” she said. “Keep in mind that the virus isn’t just a risk to you, but to the people you care about and they come in contact with. That’s what’s very insidious about this disease.”

Kuhls said she will resume visits with her friends again, but will do it a different way.

“I’ll try my very best to be at a certain distance,” she said. “The way we greet each other is forever changed, so we need to find a replacement that gives us the same reward.”

The growing consensus among experts is that the virus doesn’t transmit as easily outdoors. The fresh air coupled with the possibility of distance between people limits the risk of infection spread, Labus said.

“There’s potential that you’re safer outdoors because you’re not sharing that common air space that you would have indoors,” he said.

There is some evidence to suggest that sunlight and humidity could hurt the virus, but that doesn’t mean people are completely safe, as wind patterns could both protect and harm an individual.

“If there is a wind, it might be blowing the virus away from you, which could protect you but at the same time could blow the virus toward you,” he said.

Wearing is a mask or cloth covering, even outdoors, can help protect others, Labus added.

For those who jog or exercise outdoors, wearing a mask may not be necessary if they’re alone. But he also advises folks to stay clear of others when they are exercising, as an asymptomatic carrier of the virus could spread it more to others if they’re breathing heavily.

People should also avoid coming into contact with shared surfaces, like playgrounds, public water fountains and benches, unless they have something to wipe these surfaces with.

The period of time people are around each other is a factor as well.

“The more time you spend together, the more the risk increases, he said. “But simply passing someone for a couple of seconds isn’t considered a high-risk interaction.”

For anyone who still isn’t sure if they’ve been exposed, free testing is available throughout Clark County. Visit the health district website for a full calendar listing of free testing throughout the county.

 

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