The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed new metrics to determine the state and severity of COVID-19 in communities, according to information released Friday by the Jefferson County Health Department.
The new metrics, called: COVID-19 Community Levels, and found at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html., will help communities, organizations, and individuals to better assess risk and make decisions to protect their health, the release stated.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the Jefferson County Health Department support these changes as the state of the pandemic and the appropriate public health response evolves, the release continued.
According to the release, as of March 1, local hospitalized cases due to COVID-19 in the past thirty days decreased by 76% compared to Feb. 1. New cases of COVID-19 in Jefferson County decreased 67% in the last two weeks and 97% from record highs in mid-January.
Widespread access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests, and effective therapeutics, in addition to increasing levels of immunity in the population through vaccination or previous infection, have made possible the transition to this new phase. Each county’s COVID-19 Community Level is ranked as low, medium, or high. The levels account for county case rates and focus on the number of severe cases that require hospital care and use healthcare resources in the local health service area, providing a better picture of COVID-19’s impact on the health of individual people and communities.
The community’s level is determined by a combination of:
• How many people with COVID-19 have been admitted into area hospitals in the last week.
• How many area hospital beds are filled with COVID-19 patients.
• How many new COVID-19 cases the county has had in the last week.
The release stated: “In this phase of the pandemic, the risk of medically significant disease, hospitalization, and death associated with COVID-19 is greatly reduced for most people. At the same time, we know that some people and communities, such as our oldest community members, people who are immunocompromised, and people with disabilities, are at higher risk for serious illness and face challenging decisions navigating a world with COVID-19.
“While the public health strategy is not to prevent all cases of COVID-19, an effort should continue to limit the spread and protect those who are most at risk of severe illness.”
COVID-19 Community Levels do not apply in healthcare settings, such as hospitals and nursing homes.
The release recommends those that are eligible to get vaccinated, wear a mask indoors in areas where the COVID-19 Community Level is medium and high, and as always stay home when sick.
“Regardless of where one lives, everyone should stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccination, boosters, and other immunizations, including routine childhood immunizations. People with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should always wear a mask. COVID-19 Community Levels can be found here, or on the JCHD COVID-19 Dashboard,” according to the release.
Those with COVID-19-related questions are encouraged to visit: COVID19@JeffersonCountywi.gov.
File photo, public domain.
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