Florida Cases Ticking Up, Winter Could Be Worse
November 9th, 2020 by Jake StofanOver the weekend, Florida recorded the highest daily COVID case numbers since September 1st.
The increase comes despite testing facilities in South Florida closing due to now-Tropical Storm Eta.
Infectious disease experts expect trends to continue getting worse.
With more than 6,600 cases reported Sunday, Florida’s cases continue to trend upward.
Dr. John Lednicky, a global health researcher at the University of Florida expects things to get worse, before they get better.
“Lower humidity allows those virus particles to stay suspended in air for a longer period of time and if it’s cold, the virus particles survive,” said Dr. Lednicky.
While cases may be ticking up across the state, visitation and other protocols at nursing homes are likely to stay the same.
“Visitors, their temperatures are taken, they’re screened,” said Kristen Knapp with the Florida Health Care Association.
The association reports infection rates at eldercare facilities remain low.
“99 percent of our residents are COVID free. A lot of that is a testament again, to the protocols that are in place,” said Knapp.
We reached out to the Governor’s Office and Department of Health and asked if the upward trend would change any state policies or recommendations, but did not receive a response.
Dr. Ron Saff with the Florida Chapter of the Physicians for Social Responsibility hopes a Biden administration will do a better job at encouraging mask wearing and social distancing.
“He’s frequently wearing a mask. When you see President Trump, he’s frequently not wearing a mask and I think people learn by watching the behavior of our leaders,” said Dr. Saff.
But Dr. Lednicky said messaging from the top aside, he anticipates little change in pandemic response efforts.
“I’m a scientist and I listen to their message and what they say they’re going to be doing and it’s really not very different,” said Dr. Lednicky.
And while scientists expect the winter to bring more cases, promising news on the vaccine front does paint some hope for optimism on the horizon.
Both doctors we spoke with emphasized the need to wear masks and social distance in the absence of a vaccine, arguing it remains the most effective way to protect yourself and slow the spread.
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