Mayo doctor in La Crosse sees silver lining in local COVID numbers

COVID-19 cases are rising around the U.S., and Tokyo is seeing a six-month high in virus cases just as the Olympics are about to open. 

But places such as La Crosse are continuing to see low COVID numbers, due in part to high vaccination rates, according to Mayo doctor Joe Poterucha. 

He says the major concern right now is the spread of the Delta and Lambda variants of COVID.

“I think the mechanisms are put in place with the vaccine…social distancing, masking, a lot of areas of the country (are gonna) catch up, and eventually we’ll get to herd immunity and get through this thing,” says Poterucha.

He tells WIZM News that despite some variants detected here, the La Crosse area is doing well.

“Here in La Crosse, 70 per cent of adults vaccinated …you know, we’re seeing some cases of delta variant, but we’re in pretty good shape here,” says the doctor.

The World Health Organization wants at least 40 per cent of the people in every country to be vaccinated against COVID by year’s end.  That call follows a 12 per cent global rise in new cases in the past week.

Poterucha says kids should be back in school for the fall semester, but it’s up to local officials to decide on mask use at school.