MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The latest round of COVID-19 vaccines have been approved by the FDA. On Tuesday, the CDC will determine who should get the new shots.
Fall may have only just arrived, but there’s already an uptick in COVID infections, in Wisconsin and across the country.
“Both nationally and locally, we’re seeing COVID continue to kind of wear it’s ugly head,” said Dr. Bill Hartman, principal investigator of the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials at UW Health.
Hartman says we’re starting to see an uptick in not only cases, but hospitalizations.
“It should be highlighted though that the numbers that we’re seeing are still below that what we’ve seen in previous peaks,” he said.
According to the Wisconsin Hospital Association, there’s been an uptick in COVID-19 cases across the state since July.
There were 48 confirmed coronavirus cases on July 1. A month later on Aug. 1, that number jumped to 153. The most recent data from Aug. 31, shows the number of confirmed cases jumped to 275.
WHA data also shows COVID-19 hospitalizations have been steadily increasing in Wisconsin.
On July 1, there were 50 patients hospitalized with coronavirus. Two months later, on Sept. 1, that number rose to 131 patients.
“The thinking’s at least against severe disease and hospitalization, most people should have a very good immunity level,” said Hartman.
Former White House chief medical advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, says recommendations to mask up could make a return this fall and winter.
“I’m not talking about mandating anything,” said Fauci. “I’m talking about good common sense and following the recommendations that we will likely get from the CDC as we proceed into the fall and if the cases increase in their number.”
Dr. Hartman responded to Fauci’s statement.
“I don’t know if that’ll happen, you know, mandates were very, very unpopular and I think that the recommendation really should be for people to assess their own level of risk,” said Hartman.
Experts believe these new shots approved by the FDA will protect people against the rotating cycle of COVID-19 variants.
“For people 65 and older and people who are immunocompromised who can’t develop a very good immune response, hopefully some relief on the horizon for them,” said Hartman.
Dr. Hartman addressed who he thinks should be recommended to get these booster shots.
“I do think that they should make the boosters available to everybody,” said Hartman. “But I think that people 65 and older and people who have a known reason to be immunocompromised, I think that those people it should be highly recommended for.”
Medical experts are hoping to market these shots not as boosters, but as something more similar to an annual flu shot.
The current federal guidelines recommend that people wear a mask when around others for 10 days after exposure to COVID.
