LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Local health officials continue to navigate COVID-19 as recommendations for mitigating the virus were updated last week.
Dr. Eric Yazel, Clark County Health Officer, asks people to have flexibility as recommendations change to the ever-changing virus. He's also an ER doctor and continues to treat people with COVID-19.
"Overall the symptoms are typically very mild and everybody is doing well, but there are a lot of cases out in the community right now," Yazel said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cited more immunity as the reason for updating its guidelines, which included ending calls for social distancing of six feet. People who have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus no longer are recommended to quarantine either.
The changes, which come more than 2 1/2 years after the start of the pandemic, are driven by a recognition that an estimated 95% of Americans 16 and older have acquired some level of immunity, either from being vaccinated or infected, agency officials said.
Dr. Eric Yazel speaks to WDRB on Aug. 14, 2022.
"We have the option of the vaccine should you choose to take it and we have therapeutics," Yazel said. "We have the oral antiviral medicines, we're a lot better at the hospital at taking care of it successfully so that overall dynamic has changed and I think it's allowed them to change some of their guidelines."
Doctors are seeing patients getting the virus for the second or third time.
"The severity is down and that's kind of how viruses a lot of time tend to work," Yazel said. "To be more infectious than the one before it, it has spread easier but usually when it spreads easier it lowers the severity a little bit."
The CDC is still keeping some of its guidelines the same like recommending people to wear a mask indoors when the community COVID-19 level is high, like it is in Kentuckiana right now.
"I think if you know you're very likely to encounter somebody with COVID it's still a good idea," Yazel said.
Yazel said COVID-19 is here to stay.
"There's going to be times where it's higher, times where it's lower and you may need to change your actions depending on that," Yazel said.
Related Stories:
Copyright 2022 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
