Covid-19 News

Should vaccinated people mask up with COVID-19 cases rising?

Should vaccinated people mask up with COVID-19 cases rising? (AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin)

Should vaccinated people mask up with COVID-19 cases rising?

It depends on your situation, but masking in public can provide another layer of protection and help prevent the virus from spreading to others who aren’t protected.

An easing of safety precautions and the large number of people who remain unvaccinated in many regions are contributing to the spread of cases around the world.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not changed its advice that fully vaccinated people can safely go without masks in most situations. But Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the agency’s director, said local decisions on mask mandates could vary depending on vaccination levels and whether there’s a surge.

Los Angeles County recently started requiring residents to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status, for example, and officials in New Orleans are urging people to do the same.

Though COVID-19 vaccines greatly reduce the chance of severe illness and death and remain effective against variants, some experts said wearing a mask is a reasonable precaution since it’s still possible to get infected.

Masking could also help prevent the spread of the virus to children too young for vaccination and people with weak immune systems.

“Personally, I continue to wear a mask when going into public spaces outside of my household, both for my own protection and for the sake of my community,” said virus researcher Angela Rasmussen of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan.

Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University, said a “belt-and-suspenders” approach also makes sense for people who are older or have health issues and are more vulnerable to getting severely ill if infected.

“I’m pretty healthy, but I do have gray hair. So when I go out to the supermarket, I’m masked,” Schaffner said.


The AP is answering your questions about the coronavirus in this series.

Copyright 2020 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-health-coronavirus-pandemic-55535fe86fe5fe525761ac831f97a9f5

Click to comment

You May Also Like

Business News

PORTO-NOVO, Benin (AP) — For many people in Benin, the forests empowered them before they were born, or in the first months of their...

Business News

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Psilocybin tea, wind chimes and a tie-dye mattress await those coming to an office suite in Eugene to trip on...

Business News

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is trumpeting Medicare’s new powers to negotiate directly with drugmakers on the cost of prescription medications — but a poll shows that...

Health News

Resistant starch is a nondigestible fiber that ferments in the large intestine, and consumption of it has previously been shown to have a positive...

Copyright © 2023 Newsworthy News | Global | Political | Local | All News | Website By: Top Search SEO

Exit mobile version