David Wohl, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases, expressed concern for North Carolinians resuming normal activities to soon. In a News & Observer article, Wohl said that he worries the current decline in COVID-19 cases is the back slope of the post-holiday surge. He also added the slowing of the decline may reflect the arrival of virus variants, which is a concern for a population that remains highly vulnerable.
“It is frustrating to see mask restrictions lifted when this is exactly what has been helping us,” said Wohl in the article. “We put our foot on the gas and got somewhere. To take your foot off that gas pedal is asking for trouble. And the warning signs are there.”
Read the News & Observer article here.
Wohl conveyed the same message in a WRAL interview, responding to recent vaccine progress and improving data.
“I’m a little worried that there has been some laxity,” Wohl said. “I don’t want there to be the wrong message with the CDC guidance, with what the governor is doing. We still have to be really careful … keep masking and getting vaccinated. There is a hope that, by the middle or end of this year, we could see people gathering without masks.”
Watch the WRAL interview here.