Mary Wilson
Well-known member
By Dr. Tom Frieden
Updated 12:38 PM ET, Tue November 24, 2020
Covid is surging exponentially in much of the country, with six new infections every second and one death every minute. Many states are hitting record highs every week.
... But there's little clarity or consistency about what the risk is in different areas, or what criteria are used to decide what to close, leading to frustration and anger.
There's a way to reduce this confusion, and it's one people are already familiar with. Alert-level systems -- similar to those used to warn about bad weather, heavy traffic, poor air quality and other community-wide risks -- give people an at-a-glance indication of current status so they can adapt their behavior.
... My organization, Resolve to Save Lives, proposed a four-tiered, color-coded system ranging from "4 -- Red -- Very High Risk" to "1 -- Green -- Lower Risk." Given the scale of transmission in the US at the moment, these levels may not be enough. A fifth level -- an emergency circuit breaker call to action -- may be needed to slam the breaks and stop transmission, in order to protect hospitals and health care workers from becoming overwhelmed.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/24/health/covid-alert-system-frieden-opinion/index.html
Updated 12:38 PM ET, Tue November 24, 2020
Covid is surging exponentially in much of the country, with six new infections every second and one death every minute. Many states are hitting record highs every week.
... But there's little clarity or consistency about what the risk is in different areas, or what criteria are used to decide what to close, leading to frustration and anger.
There's a way to reduce this confusion, and it's one people are already familiar with. Alert-level systems -- similar to those used to warn about bad weather, heavy traffic, poor air quality and other community-wide risks -- give people an at-a-glance indication of current status so they can adapt their behavior.
... My organization, Resolve to Save Lives, proposed a four-tiered, color-coded system ranging from "4 -- Red -- Very High Risk" to "1 -- Green -- Lower Risk." Given the scale of transmission in the US at the moment, these levels may not be enough. A fifth level -- an emergency circuit breaker call to action -- may be needed to slam the breaks and stop transmission, in order to protect hospitals and health care workers from becoming overwhelmed.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/24/health/covid-alert-system-frieden-opinion/index.html
