As Covid-19 cases started to dip, many states in America stopped mandating masks earlier this year.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now encouraging people to wear them in indoor public spaces again.
Source: Yoav Aziz on Unsplash
According to The New York Times, a “tripledemic” of Covid-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is now sweeping through the country.
The United States (US) is currently experiencing a surge in flu, RSV, and Covid-19 cases.
This trifecta of illnesses is now plaguing the healthcare system and patients nationwide.
It has hit some areas harder than others, prompting several cities and counties to encourage people to wear a mask in indoor public spaces again.
This includes New York City and Los Angeles.
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According to CBS News, earlier this month, New York officials had urged schools to return to indoor masking to curb the “tripledemic”.
Similarly, Los Angeles authorities have warned that indoor masking rules might return as cases spike.
Officially, the CDC advises the wearing of masks depending on community Covid-19 levels.
This takes into account hospital admissions, bed capacity, and case rates.
There has been an estimated 13 million illnesses and 7,300 deaths from flu this season in the US.
This number is expected to rise even further in the coming months, reported The New York Times.
The new mask recommendations come as concerns rise over the number of Covid-19 cases as well as hospitalisation rates.
Rates have spiked by 56% and 24% respectively over the past two weeks.
CBS News reports that more than 10 large counties which have over a million residents are now at the ‘high’ Covid-19 community levels.
These counties include:
The CDC website states that while people may choose to wear a mask at any time, they are recommended in indoor public transportation settings.
They may also be required in other places by local or state authorities.
Prevention steps that individuals may take, whether they’re in ‘low’, ‘medium’, or ‘high’ Covid-19 community levels, include:
Those in areas where the Covid-19 community level is ‘high’ should also wear a high-quality mask or respirator and consider avoiding non-essential indoor activities in public.
CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky said there’s no need to wait for their recommendation to mask up.
While rates of Covid-19, flu, and RSV are not as severe in other areas of the country, in truth, the whole country is affected.
High-risk households, including those with adults over 65, pregnant women, or people with pre-existing medical conditions, should also mask up.
There is strong evidence that masks help to reduce transmission of several respiratory viruses.
Back in 2020, Hong Kong researchers found that when people with the flu or Covid-19 wore a surgical mask, fewer viral particles were breathed out.
Source: Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
However, masks are not as effective when it comes to rhinovirus, which causes the common cold.
A study of Boston-area schools’ Covid-19 policies also found that removing the mask mandate in 2022 led to 12,000 additional cases.
If the past is anything to go by, influenza and other respiratory viruses’ rates also fell in 2020 and 2021 due to protections such as mask-wearing, The New York Times notes.
Ultimately, when it comes to when to wear a mask, Dr Syra Madad, senior director of the systemwide special pathogens program at New York City Health + Hospitals, advises paying attention to the three Cs:
Close contact, crowded spaces, and confined spaces with poor ventilation.
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Featured image adapted from Getty Images via The Independent.
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