With testing down, hard to know how much COVID is in Massachusetts
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Updated: 7:06 PM EDT Jul 27, 2021
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Updated: 7:06 PM EDT Jul 27, 2021
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ED: 5 INVESTIGATES IS TRACKING COVID TESTING IN MASSACHUSTS A CONCERN ABOUT THE DELTA VARIANT GROWS. NEW AT 6:00: OUR MIKE BEAUDET IS LOOKING AT WHAT THE LACK OF WIDESPREAD TESTING COULD MEAINN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS AHEAD. >> MORE THAN 24 MILLION COVID-19 MOLECULAR TESTS HAVEEE B ADMINISTERED IN MASSACHUTTSE BUT THE NUMBER OF TESTS HAS PLUMMETED SINCE THE WINTER WHEN THE AVERAGE HIGH TOPPED ,0.77 ONE DAY IN JANUARY TO AN AVERAGE LOW EARLIER THIS MONTH OF ABTOU 17,000. THAT DOESN’T COUNT HIERGH EDUCATION TESTING. PLUS VACCINATED PEOPLE MAY BE LESSIK LELY TO GET TESTED THEY DO GET SICK. SO WE REALLY DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH COVID IS IN THE STATE RIGHT W.NO >> WE ARE ABSOLUTELY UNDERCOUNTING CASES OF COVID AS WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE ENTIR PANDEMIC. WE MAY BE UNDERCOUNTING EVEN MORE NOW THAN WE HAVE BEEN BEFO. >> DR. STEPHEN KISSLER’S RESEARCH AT THE HARVARD T.H. CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ALTHHE FOCUSES ON TRYING TO PREDICT COVID CASES AND WHO GETS INFEEDCT WHEN. THE CONCERN IS THAT WITHOUT MORE TESTING, IT IS HARD TO KNOW HOW MUCH OF THE HIGHLY INFECTIOUS DELTA VARIANT IS OUT THERE. >> EVEN IF WE’RE UNDERCOUNTING, WE CAN STILL SEE THE DIRECTION THINGS ARE HEADING. SO WE DO KNOW THE CASES ARE INCREASING HERE IN MASSACHUSTSET AND ACROSS MUCH OF THE COUNTRY. >> KISSLER SAYS HE IS NOT SURPRISED TO HEAR ABOUT BREAKTHROUGH CASES WHERE VACCINATED PEOPLE BECOME INFECTED. >> FOR EVERY 20 UNVACCINATED PEOPLE WHO SHOW SYMPTOMS, YOU EXPECT ONE OR TWO VACCINATED PEOPLE TO AL SSOHOW SYMPTOMS. WHEN YOU PUT IT IN THOSE TERMS, IT MAKES IT SEEM NOT ACTUALLY THAT UNUSU.AL >> BUT HE IS CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE WHO AREOT N VACCINATED AND WHETHER THE VIRUS COUL FLARE UP AGAIN IN MASSACHUSETTS. >> I THINK THAT THERE MAY COME A TIME WHEN WE MIGHT HAVE TO REINTRODUCE MASKING INDOORS, WHEN WE MIGHT HAVE TO THINK ABOUT DOING MORE ROUTINE SURVEILLANCE TESTING TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW DELTA IS SPREADI. >> DR. KISSLER SAYS WE CAN’T RELY ON HERD IMMUNITY PROTECTION EVEN WITH HIGH VACCINATION RATES BECAUSE THE DELTA VARIANT IS SO INFECTIOUS AND WILL BE ABLE TO SPREAD. WHILE TOTAL COVID CASE COUNTS MAY SURGE IN THE WEEKS AHEAD, HE DOES NOT EXPECT THE HEALTH IMPACT TO BE AS BAD ASRI POR SURGES. AT LEAST AMONG THOSE WHO ARE VACCINAT.ED MIKE BEAUDET, 5 INVESTIGAT