The COVID-19 Task Force met Friday, October 14th. Listed below are the latest updates:
MDH Update
- Since August 21, omicron accounts for all cases in MN (currently, ~90% BA.5 and ~8% BA.4)
- Elsewhere in HHS Region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI) starting to see BA.4.6 subvariant increasing in proportion
- Survey of COVID coordinators (74 responses)
- We are generally aligned with the majority of institutions in terms of our approach to masking, testing, and isolation space (not counting non-residential institutions) this semester
- Latest updates to CDC guidance only apply to institutions with on-campus health-care providers
- Update since meeting last week: bivalent boosters approved for children as young as 5
- When to get boosted if you’ve had COVID:
- A person with COVID-19 infection can be vaccinated upon recovery from acute illness and discontinuing isolation. This applies to all COVID-19 vaccine doses, including boosters.
- People who recently had SARS-CoV-2 infection may consider delaying a primary series dose or booster dose by 3 months from symptom onset or positive test (if infection was asymptomatic).
- Studies have shown that increased time between infection and vaccination may result in an improved immune response to vaccination. Also, a low risk of reinfection has been observed in the weeks to months following infection
- Covid cases and hospitalizations in MN “as flat as a pancake” (@dhmontgomery)
- Hennepin cases down 3.4% from last week; Ramsey, down 10.1%
- On-campus case rate remains manageable
We have a Google Form available for Augsburg Staff Union members to ask questions to be brought up at the COVID Task Force meetings. We did not receive any questions this week.