FLINT, Mich. (WNEM) – An uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations has health experts urging people to mask up again.
Michigan is seeing nearly 1,900 new and probable cases per day.
Dr. Bobby Mukkamala supports the Centers for Disease Control recommendation for universal mask wearing.
“We may be sick of it. But the fact that all of a sudden now, for the first time, the hospital numbers are starting to go up. Clearly, it’s a warning sign to us that we need to continue to be careful,” Mukkamala said.
About a third of the nation’s population resides in a county classified to have a high COVID-19 community level.
“The people that will end up in the hospital are those people that are going to be prone to illness. It’s going to be those that have some underlying medical conditions, or those that don’t have some natural immunity, or vaccine induced immunity. And it’s for their sake that we just need to be careful,” Mukkamala said.
Mukkamala realizes there are some who are tired of wearing a mask or never put one on in the first place.
“People say ‘well it doesn’t help because you can still get sick.’ yes. It’s like saying ‘well seat belts don’t help because you could still die in a car crash.’ sure, but the odds are lower,” Mukkamala said.
Mukkamala said with proper mask wearing and vaccination, we can tamp down the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations before it becomes a runaway train.
“Instead of waiting for that number to escape from us, and that horse to get out of the barn, and then worry about ‘well ok we should’ve done this.’ this is that moment where we don’t have to say ‘we should’ve done it.’ we can actually do it,” Mukkamala said.
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