MADISON, Wis. Wisconsin’s average of seven days to new COVID cases rises and more cases are linked to virus variants.
The CDC has identified five variants that are more contagious than the original strain.
“All five of these strains are currently in Wisconsin, and the proportion of Wisconsin infections caused by the varieties of concern is growing week by week,” said Dr. Ryan Westergaard, head of the DHS, said.
The variants require less interaction to infect someone, making the virus easier to obtain.
Earlier this week, public health officials reported a major outbreak of the British variant at a childcare center in Dane County. Dozens of people were infected, including children.
“You look at places like Michigan and other places in the country where you see more variants spread. We hear anecdotally more stories about younger, healthier people being admitted to the hospital and younger transmission.” says Dr. Matt Anderson of UW Health.
He said the Dane County COVID data “shows that the teens and preteens are behaving in a way we have not seen before.”
Dr. Anderson said vaccinated people should be confident that they are protected from severe reactions to the variants.
Dane County has increased by more than 35% over the past two weeks. With these rising numbers, the concern is that people who are not vaccinated may come into more contact with a variety strain.
Even with nearly half of Dane County vaccinated, that means more than half of the population can still get and distribute the variants, including children who have not yet been vaccinated.
Doctors say the best way to protect those who have not been vaccinated and to stop their spread is by wearing a mask and taking social distance.
With nearly 80% of Wisconsinites 65 and older and more than 90% of people 65 and older in Dane County vaccinated, the hope is that if this variant causes another wave, it would be less lethal than before.
If you are 16 or older, doctors tell you to be persistent and find a vaccine.
Pfizer has asked the FDA to approve the vaccine for teens ages 12-15. The approval may come within the next few months. For younger children, Dr Anderson expects their approval to take longer. He said we could be eligible by the end of 2021.
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