COVID-19 cases are on the rise in California, and UCSF’s Dr. Bob Wachter posted on Twitter on Monday that he is returning to more cautious behavior and returning his mask to closed public places where it may not be required.
“In the last month, SF has become much less masked,” Wachter wrote on Twitter. “At this point, if you’ve decided it’s okay to get Covid (which is not crazy if you’re waxing / boosting), then it’s a good idea to take the mask off in crowded indoor spaces. If you prefer to avoid Covid and have become less cautious, it’s time to rethink. “
The number of Covid cases is less reliable than before (home testing, fewer test sites). Our @UCSF asymptomatic Pos rate test (ATPR) remains a good tool for community dissemination. The bad news: ATPR has been ⬆3 times in the last few weeks, now 3.4%. Means that ~ 1/30 asymptomatic people in SF are pos. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/rIzR0vV3y5
– Bob Wachter (@Bob_Wachter) May 2, 2022
Wachter said he was covering his face again because he preferred to avoid COVID. He said he was most concerned about the long-term symptoms of COVID and the long-term risks, including heart damage, neurological effects and diabetes.
“I will now make 100% N95 in crowded indoor spaces,” writes Wachter. “I strongly prefer eating outdoors indoors, although I will eat outdoors in small groups (admitting it’s a risk, but it seems worth it). You have to make your choice, but do it with your eyes open: there are many Kovids out there. “
Wachter is chair of the UCSF Department of Medicine and has been tweeting about COVID-19 for more than two years, sharing regular updates with his views on the state of the pandemic in San Francisco and around the world.
After a peak in January amid the Omicron Jump, San Francisco saw a significant drop in cases and the city eased its health mandate by no longer requiring camouflage in most indoor public places. Cases are coming back – although it is difficult to see how less reliable data for states and cities are, as there are fewer testing sites and more people testing at home. Wachter said the positive frequency of the asymptomatic test at UCSF, where patients must be tested before certain procedures or if they stay overnight, is a good means of disseminating to the community. He said the rate had tripled in the past week, to 3.4 percent, meaning that 1 in 30 people in San Francisco is asymptomatic.
“I had slipped a bit on the issue: masquerading in places where there are no people, and I was less careful about restaurants,” said Wachter. “I’m resuming more cautious behavior.”
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