The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data on Wednesday to support the use of double-masking — and coverings that fit the face more snugly — to more effectively prevent the spread of COVID-19, a concept that has been debated as more transmissible variants surface around the globe.
The new report provides several other options for better mask-wearing, including cloth masks over medical masks (which have metal pins to secure the fit), or medical procedure masks alone with knotted ear loops and tucked-in sides (to avoid gaps). It also emphasized that a more tapered fit of face coverings were effective in preventing the virus from being transmitted or contracted.
Double-masking, as well as “knotting the ear loops of a medical procedure mask where they attach to the mask’s edges and then tucking in and flattening the extra material close to the face...could improve the fit of these masks, and reduce the receiver’s exposure to an aerosol of simulated respiratory droplet particles of the size considered most important for transmitting SARS-CoV-2,” the CDC noted.
“The receiver’s exposure was maximally reduced (>95%) when the source and receiver were fitted with modified medical procedure masks. These laboratory-based experiments highlight the importance of good fit to optimize mask performance,” the study said.
In addition, the CDC suggests mask fitters — which are worn over the mask and tighten behind the ears or head — or a nylon sleeve which covers the nose and mouth and hugs the neck.
“Based on experiments that measured the filtration efficiencies of various cloth masks and a medical procedure mask... it was estimated that the better fit achieved by combining these two mask types, specifically a cloth mask over a medical procedure mask, could reduce a wearer’s exposure by [more than] 90%,” the agency said.
Official CDC guidance on mask-wearing has not been updated to reflect the new data.
At a White House COVID-19 Response Team briefing Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the U.K. strain, known as B.1.1.7, is increasingly becoming dominant in the U.S. Currently, Florida and California lead the pack with reported cases of the variant.
Little is known about the spread of the B.1.351 strain, which originated in South Africa, as the country continues to struggle with genomic sequencing of variants in many states.
More vaccine sites, more equity
With the Biden administration moving to ramp up COVID-19 vaccine supply, the Response Team is also adding more vaccine administration sites to help ensure underserved communities have access.
Jeff Zients, Response Team coordinator, said federally qualified health centers (FQHC), also known as community health centers, will play a crucial role going forward. Known as a key asset in addressing the needs of vulnerable communities in the overall health system in the U.S., the centers provide the administration a pathway to a more equitable rollout — even as it contemplates mobile sites.
“Equity is core to our strategy to put this pandemic behind us, and equity means that we are reaching everyone, particularly those in underserved and rural communities and those who have been hit hardest by this pandemic,” Zients said.
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, chair of administration’s COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, said there are 1,300 centers serving 30 million individuals. Of those individuals, two-thirds are below the federal poverty line and 60% identify as minorities.
The addition of FQHCs also serves as an indication of the administration’s confidence in boosting vaccine supply moving forward.
“So, in addition to the doses that have already been allocated to states and then additionally through the pharmacy program, we will begin shipping doses directly to these community health centers. But we anticipate a subset of FQHCs or community health centers to be able to start ordering vaccines as soon as next week,” Nunez-Smith said.
But a concern, with continued chaos as some desperately search for vaccines, remains about how the government will prevent vaccines appointments from being booked by individuals outside the targeted neighborhood.
During the briefing Wednesday, Nunez-Smith declined to specify how the federal government, which views it as a “top priority,” will be able to enforce any such specifications.
New treatments as vaccine supply increases
While vaccine companies continue to ramp up supply, other industry players are joining the efforts. Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA) is reportedly in talks to help produce and distribute the vaccines, but has yet to provide specifics on which platforms or companies it will work with, or in which regions where it will produce.
The company declined to reveal additional details about plans.
Novartis (NVS) has also made itself available to discuss potential manufacturing, and Sanofi (SNY) has already agreed to produce Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech’s (BNTX) vaccine.
Meanwhile, the new treatments are also coming through.
Eli Lilly (LLY) received emergency use authorization for a combination of its monoclonal antibody treatment and another experimental treatment to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 patients within 10 days of symptoms.
In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is allowing shorter infusion times for the combo, and for the monoclonal antibody treatment alone, as a result of feedback from frontline health workers, according to a statement.
The infusion could be as short as 16 minutes for the solo treatment, or 21 minutes for the combination, “a significant reduction from the previously authorized time of 60 minutes,” the statement said.
More from Anjalee:
What you need to know about at-home, over-the-counter COVID-19 tests
Biden COVID-19 adviser: Vaccine news is great, but we still have a ways to go
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