[ad_1]
Senior doctors in Congress urged lawmakers on Monday to adopt a “maximum telecommuting posture” on the grounds that the number of COVID-19 cases in the Capitol is “unprecedented”, which he said are mainly breakthrough infections of people who have been vaccinated.
In a letter to Congress leaders obtained by the Associated Press, the attending physician Brian P. Monahan wrote that the 7-day average infection rate of the Capitol Testing Center has gone from less than 1 % Increased to more than 13%.
Monaghan said, “There has been an unprecedented number of cases in the Capitol community, affecting hundreds of people.” Quoting his limited sampling as of December 15th, he said that approximately 61% of the cases were the new, highly infectious variant of omicron, and 38% were the delta variant.
Although no figures were provided, he said that “most” cases in the Capitol were groundbreaking. He said that of those who tested positive, 35% had no symptoms.
Monahan’s letter was issued when the global spread of the omicron variant caused a large number of COVID-19 cases, and the United States now reports an average of 400,000 new infections every day. The increasing number of cases has led to a gradual increase in absenteeism in workplaces across the country, including schools, healthcare providers, airlines, police and fire departments, and other important staff, raising concerns that service interruptions will only worsen in the near future .
Monaghan warned: “The daily case rate will increase substantially in the coming weeks.”
The Congress has been in an adjournment since mid-December. The Senate returned on Monday and held a short 17-minute meeting, but postponed the originally scheduled evening vote after Washington was hit by inches of snow. The House of Representatives will not return to the Capitol until next week.
Speakers for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) did not immediately understand whether Monaghan’s letter would prompt any changes in the operation of Congress. It is expected that for at least this week, the regular lunches held by the Senate Democrats will be virtual.
Monaghan urged Congress’ offices and agencies — which employ thousands of food service, custodial, and other staff in Congress — to use electronic communications to “maximize” face-to-face activities.
Currently, the House of Representatives requires lawmakers and aides to wear masks in the Chamber of the House of Representatives unless they are authorized to speak and on most other occasions in the Capitol and the Office of the House of Representatives. The Senate encourages the wearing of masks, but does not require them.
Monaghan said people should wear well-fitting medical grade KN95 or better masks. He said that blue surgical masks and cloth masks “must be replaced.”
He said that wearing a mask is “essential unless the individual is alone in a closed office space or eating or drinking in a food service area.”
Republican lawmakers and aides of both houses are significantly less likely to wear masks around the Capitol than Democrats. Some people refuse to accept the scientific community’s widely accepted view that correct masks can reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 infection.
Not a modern healthcare subscriber? Register today.
According to a resolution approved by the House of Representatives last year, members of the House of Representatives will be fined up to $2,500 each time they do not wear a mask. So far, all fines publicly announced by the House Ethics Committee for defying the rule have been directed at Republicans.
Monaghan said the breakthrough case did not result in the death or hospitalization of vaccinated legislators or congressional staff.
But he said that although people who have received two vaccines and boosters usually have mild symptoms, even those symptoms can lead to “long-term COVID” for 6 to 12 months. He said this could include serious cardiovascular, neurological and cognitive problems.
He added that a “reasonable estimate” is that 6% to 10% of cases might end in this way.
[ad_2]
Source link