| Web: | mayocliniclabs.com |
|---|---|
| Email: | mcl@mayo.edu |
| Telephone: | 800-533-1710 |
| International: | +1 855-379-3115 |
| Values are valid only on day of printing | |
| Web: | mayocliniclabs.com |
|---|---|
| Email: | mcl@mayo.edu |
| Telephone: | 800-533-1710 |
| International: | +1 855-379-3115 |
| Values are valid only on day of printing | |
Due to the continued spread of the delta variant, Mayo Clinic will again require all staff members, regardless of role and COVID-19 vaccination status, to wear masks in all Mayo Clinic buildings, effective Monday, Aug. 2. Patient and visitors are already required to universally mask, and Mayo has decided to extend universal masking of staff at all locations for the safety of staff, patients and visitors.
As COVID-19 vaccinations become more widespread throughout the U.S., many people are hoping to pack up their masks, put the pandemic behind them, and move on. But viruses rarely disappear completely, and the likelihood of COVID-19 simply going away is slim. With that in mind, Matthew Binnicker, Ph.D., director of the Clinical Virology Laboratory in Mayo Clinic’s Division of Clinical Microbiology, considers the prospects for COVID-19 this fall as the traditional influenza season ramps up. He also discusses advances in testing that have been developed over the last 16 months as a result of the pandemic, and re-emphasizes the crucial role of vaccines.
Mayo Clinic's COVID-19 Resource Center, which has logged more than 7 million page views since the start of the pandemic, has been redesigned, with new content and features to make it even more current, informative, and easy to use.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently changed course on masking guidelines, recommending people vaccinated for COVID-19 resume wearing masks in public indoor spaces in areas of the U.S. where there is high transmission of the virus.
A fourth COVID-19 surge is blanketing the U.S., and the delta variant is the culprit.
As the delta variant continues to spread across the country, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show vaccinated people can still spread COVID-19. Breakthrough infections of the highly contagious delta variant also have been reported. This new information has led to questions surrounding the effectiveness of the current COVID-19 vaccines.
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am hearing more about the delta variant and am worried about my family's risk of becoming infected with COVID-19. My husband and I are vaccinated for COVID-19, but some of our extended family members are not. They don't seem concerned about the new variant. Can you share more information about it and the importance of being vaccinated for COVID-19?
The number of COVID-19 infections, mostly with the delta variant, continues to rise, especially in parts of the U.S. where vaccination rates are low. Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious diseases physician at Mayo Clinic Children's Center, says younger people are among those being infected with the highly contagious virus.
