LeadingAge participated in an invitation only call for health and long-term care providers Tuesday, convened in light of surging numbers of positive cases and the new masking guidance released.  “Much of the increase in spread of the Delta variant is driven by low vaccination rates, especially among health care providers,” a CDC official said.  Among the top points covered:

• The new guidance on masking is only guidance; it recommends that fully vaccinated people wear a mask indoors, reversing earlier guidance.  State and local jurisdictions will need to make their own decisions about whether to take action and what action to take.
  • No specific guidance from CDC around capacity of indoor spaces; that is up to the jurisdictions.
• Vaccines remain the most effective defense against transmission.
  • CDC “can’t issue mandates at this time,” but encourages providers and health systems to “move in that direction.  We encourage consideration of mandates.”
• Transmission of Delta variant
  • It is looking so far like viral loads with Delta are comparable for infected people who have been vaccinated or are unvaccinated.  Potentially, they may be equally likely to transmit the Delta variant virus.
• Breakthrough infections.
  • Breakthrough infections are inevitable.  Anything – like the Delta variant – that increases transmission is going to increase the number of breakthrough infections.
  • So far there is no evidence of reduced vaccine efficacy with Delta.
  • CDC seems especially concerned about breakthrough infections in nursing homes where they are most likely to cause severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths.
  • CDC is tracking breakthrough infections that result in hospitalizations and deaths, but for a variety of reasons not tracking the role of the Delta variant in all cases, especially not in asymptomatic infections.
  • They are working on new messaging about breakthrough infections.
• Should providers change what they are doing?
  • None of the guidance has changed except masking.
  • CDC continues to recommend that exposed health care workers be tested and if positive, quarantine.
  • Tuesday’s guidance does not address mask types.
  • In terms of further sanitation guidance – nothing new.  CDC reinforces and will reiterate that while environmental factors play a limited role in transmission, high touch surfaces should be cleaned often.

Questions?

Contact: 

Laura Hofmann, MSN, RN – Director of Clinical and Nursing Facility Regulatory Services
c: 425-231-4804