Denver moves to high COVID-19 community level as more transmissible variants continue to spread unchecked

DENVER – The Metropolis and County of Denver is now an space of excessive transmission of the novel coronavirus, based on the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.

The CDC’s COVID-19 Built-in County View map on Thursday confirmed Denver, together with Boulder, Broomfield, Jefferson, Arapahoe and Douglas counties all having ranges of excessive transmission of the virus as of Thursday.

The newest information from the CDC confirmed Denver reported 350.1 circumstances and 11.3 new hospitalizations for COVID-19 per 100,000 individuals – metrics the CDC makes use of to categorise the extent of threat for any given neighborhood.

Beneath a excessive COVID-19 neighborhood stage, the CDC recommends individuals masks indoors (ideally with a high-quality masks like a KN95 or N95), staying up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccines, and get examined if they begin experiencing cold-like signs. Folks at excessive threat of extreme sickness from COVID-19 ought to take into account taking extra precautions.

It’s unclear at this level if the Denver Division of Public Well being and Surroundings (DDPHE) will implement a citywide masks mandate to forestall the continued unchecked unfold of the extremely transmissible BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages of the omicron variant because it has performed prior to now, since hospitalizations don’t seem like rising at a stage that might overwhelm the well being care system.

It’s additionally not clear if different metro space counties will work in tandem to implement extra protections to forestall the unfold of the virus as they did on the finish of final yr, when omicron first appeared in Colorado. Denver7 reached out to the DDPHE to ask if protecting measures shall be put in place to guard public well being, however didn’t hear again by deadline.

Epidemiologists from internationally have raised issues that letting the virus unfold unchecked with out NPIs in place (akin to masks necessities and social distancing measures) might doubtlessly end in extra harmful mutations of the virus and in long-term financial impacts for communities, as a sizeable portion of the inhabitants might find yourself creating Lengthy COVID.

BA.2.12.1 – the model of omicron most prevalent in Colorado in the mean time – is estimated to be roughly 1.2 to 1.5 instances extra infectious than BA.1, based on a number of research, and specialists imagine its transmissibility is resulting in higher immune escape from vaccination or prior an infection. Little is understood about how extreme BA.2.12.1 might be, however research recommend it’s much like the unique omicron variant by way of virulence, vaccine effectiveness and immune escape.

The BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages are greater than 4 instances as prone to escape antibodies in individuals who’ve been vaccinated and boosted in contrast with BA.2 viruses, well being specialists informed CNN. There’s presently no indication they’re extra extreme in comparison with earlier omircon strains, based on the ECDC.

“Whereas we’re seeing a usually rising pattern in circumstances, we imagine immunity to COVID-19 is powerful all through the state, and we’re presently nonetheless inside modeling estimates that might generate a considerably smaller peak within the coming weeks than we have now seen in some current waves,” a spokesperson with Colorado Division of Public Well being and Environtment informed Denver7 in an announcement late Thursday afternoon.

Denver’s 7-day common positivity fee as of June 5 was 11.7%, based on metropolis information – greater than double of what’s really useful by well being specialists to curb transmission of the virus, although the quantity is probably going an undercount as extra individuals are counting on at-home COVID-19 exams now that neighborhood testing websites have largely been shuttered.

A number of different Colorado counties are additionally reporting excessive ranges of COVID-19 transmission, per the CDC. They embrace Rio Blanco, Garfield, Pitkin, Ouray, San Miguel, San Juan, and La Plata counties.