When can we have class unmasked?

As vaccination rates increase, the question of when Viterbo will return to unmasked classes is on the minds of students and staff. The COVID-19 situation is ever changing, so the answer to this question fluctuates week-to-week; but ultimately, there is no clear answer as to when students and staff will be able to remove masks.  

In questions posed to Michael Ranscht, co-chair of Viterbo’s COVID-19 response team, there is some clarity as to what crucial markers of greater community health are. Ranscht mentioned there are many considerations based on both the campus community and the greater La Crosse area. Currently, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) is recommending that all persons, vaccinated or unvaccinated, wear masks indoors at all times. On top of that, La Crosse County’s ICU beds are over 75% occupied, and community transmission is considered to be “high” by CDC guidelines. Among other reasons, these markers are why Viterbo has not lifted its mask requirement and will not for the foreseeable future. 

The spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant has also set Viterbo back in terms of lifting restrictions. The Delta variant is significantly more contagious than the Alpha variant. Ranscht mentioned that locally, it is likely that more than 95% of new cases are the more contagious Delta variant. Therefore, to be considered a “close contact” the amount of time spent around someone who tests positive is around 10 minutes, where prior to the Delta variant it was closer to 15 minutes. The rate of transmission is much lower when one or both parties are fully vaccinated. Currently, La Crosse county is seeing a large amount of “breakthrough cases,” COVID cases in fully vaccinated individuals, with between 25% and 33% of new cases occurring in people who are fully vaccinated. 

When asked how to slow the spread of COVID-19 and get Viterbo closer to removing the mask requirement, Ranscht encouraged the community to keep wearing masks over the nose and mouth and maintain at least 6 feet of distance as often as possible when unmasked. Proper handwashing with soap and water or using hand sanitizer when soap and water is unavailable is also crucial to slowing the spread. He also expressed the importance of regular on-campus testing through Health Services for unvaccinated individuals and vaccinated individuals who are symptomatic in order to catch and isolate both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases. Ranscht also stated he “encourages everyone to respect the personal decision regarding vaccination our friends and colleagues have made.”  

Although it is not yet clear when Viterbo will be able to drop its mask requirement, it is certainly an equation that is more complicated than one set of health factors.