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Page 2 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, April 9, 2021 Local doctors weigh in on latest spike in COVID-19 cases ANGELO’S By Christopher Roberson D FULL SERVICE Regular Unleaded $2.639 Mid Unleaded $2.739 Super $2.839 Diesel Fuel $2.819 "42 Years of Excellence!" 1978-2020 KERO $4.65 DEF $3.49 9 Diesel $2.349 9 HEATING OIL 24-Hour Burner Service Call for Current Price! (125—gallon minimum) DEF Available by Pump! Open an account and order online at: www.angelosoil.com (781) 231-3500 (781) 231-3003 367 LINCOLN AVE • SAUGUS • OPEN 7 DAYS octors at area hospitals agree that the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases was triggered not only by the variant forms of the virus, but also by countless individuals who have grown weary of living with a pandemic for the past year. On April 1, the state DeGerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 partment of Public Health reported that 55 communities were in the red category of COVID-19 transmission. Everett has slipped back into the red category with a positivity rate of 5.3 percent. Saugus is also in the red category with a positivity rate of 6.1 percent. Malden and Revere are in the yellow category with positivity rates of 3.9 and 3.8 percent, respectively. “Variants are contributing to the increase in cases in Massachusetts,” said Dr. Lou Ann Bruno-Murtha, division chief of infectious diseases at Cambridge Health Alliance. “The more infectious B.1.1.7 variant (UK variant) is increasingly being identifi ed in Massachusetts and the P1 variant (Brazilian variant) is also beginning to increase.” On April 4, renowned epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm made a bold prediction on NBC’s Meet the Press. “Let me say that, at this time, we really are in a category fi ve hurricane status,” he said. “At this point, we will see the highest number of cases reported globally since the beginning of the pandemic. We’re just at the beginning of this surge; we haven’t even really begun to see it yet.” Despite her deep respect for Osterholm, Bruno-Murtha said she is “more optimistic for Massachusetts.” “We have maintained a state mask mandate and our vaccination program has been increasingly effi cient,” she said. “As of April 5, 38 percent of residents have received at least one vaccine.” She also said that time is of the essence regarding the ongoing rollout of the vaccines. “The quicker we administer vaccines, the sooner we will have the upper hand on this pandemic,” said Bruno-Murtha. “I remain hopeful we will not experience another surge in Massachusetts.” Dr. Brian Chow, an attending physician at Tufts Medical Center, said there are approximately 700 cases of the UK variant in Massachusetts. He said the Brazilian variant also gained a foothold following the recent outbreak on Cape Cod. “We are all very concerned about the trajectory of the number of cases, particularly in Massachusetts,” said Chow. “Whether the next surge arrives will depend on our actions today. Now is the time to act to prevent the next surge.” With Massachusetts now in A BUSINESS CHECKING ACCOUNT THAT CHECKS ALL THE BOXES. LOW MONTHLY FEES - ONLINE BANKING & BILL PAY REMOTE DEPOSIT CAPTURE - COIN SERVICES TALK TO US TODAY ABOUT OUR DIFFERENT BUSINESS CHECKING ACCOUNTS. WE’LL HELP YOU FIND THE RIGHT OPTION. EVERETT – 419 BROADWAY LYNNFIELD – 7 7 1 SALEM STREET 61 7-38 7 - 1 1 10 Visit our website to learn more at: EVERETTBANK . COM Member FDIC Member DIF the fi nal phase of the Reopening Plan, Chow agreed with Bruno-Murtha that vaccinations must continue without delay. “We are in a race against time to get vaccines into arms,” he said. “It takes at least 14 days after the fi nal dose of vaccine to be protected. For Pfi zer or Moderna, that could be as long as fi ve to seven weeks after the fi rst dose.” Dr. Stephen Kissler of the RIGHT BY YOU Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said that while the variants pose a significant threat, another shutdown should not be necessary. He said that during the past year healthcare professionals have learned an incredible amount of information pertaining to the spread of COVID-19. For example, he said the probability of contracting the virus by going to the grocery store is fairly minimal, particularly when everyone is wearing a mask. In contrast, Kissler said indoor dining creates a much greater risk. “That’s the real concern that I have,” he said. Kissler also said there will likely be a short-term surge from those who went away for Easter or Passover. “I think we will probably see some surge,” he said. Dr. Benjamin Linas, an associate professor at the Boston University School of Medicine, said relaxing restrictions all but guarantees that the number of cases will escalate. “It is just a fact of life, like gravity,” he said. “Until we reach full herd immunity, this is just a law of nature.” Although Linas agreed with Osterholm about the possibility of a fourth surge, he continues to have a great deal of confi dence in the vaccines. “We are in a truly novel position; we have never seen the epidemiology of COVID in the context of widespread vaccination,” he said. “It is defi nitely possible that we are in the fi rst days of a surge, but it is also possible that the surge is ultimately truncated by successful vaccination eff orts.” However, Linas said there is also the risk of variants developing that are immune to the vaccines. “That is possible, the best way to prevent that from happening is to end this before it happens, which means wearing masks and distancing while we vaccinate as fast as humans have ever vaccinated an entire population,” he said. However, Linas stressed that the uptick in cases is not the result of schools reopening. “Schools are too essential to loosely blame for epidemiology that has many other clear explanations,” he said. “Our goal should be to keep schools open, even with another surge, unless it becomes very clear that there is a great deal of inschool transmission occurring.” In addition, Linas said the reopening process has been moving too fast. “We are too quick to reopen indoor dining and to allow fans back at sporting events. I know that no one wants to hear this, but no one wants a fourth surge without acknowledging the laws of nature,” he said. “I am sensitive to the need for economic recovery and identify strongly with small business owners who are facing existential fi nancial threats. But we are so close. I really think that with a concerted eff ort to limit our interactions and double down on masks and distance, combined with ongoing vaccination eff orts, we could be at herd immunity by the end of the summer. We can see the fi nish line; now is the time to dig deep and begin the hard sprint to the end.” Prices subject to change Spring is around the Corner! FLEET

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