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Mar 15, 2024 · FULL ANSWER. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on March 1 updated its guidance on preventing the spread of respiratory viruses, consolidating advice on a range of common respiratory...
- Overview
- A flashpoint issue
- Masks forever? What the science says
When federal health officials recently announced that fully vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks in most situations, Jaz Johnson was among those who kept hers on.
Johnson, 46, of Kansas City, Missouri, has received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, but she has no desire to go maskless. For the past year, Johnson has avoided the colds and flu she normally gets. So has her 95-year-old grandmother, who lives with her.
In addition to helping keep her and her family healthy, masks have offered Johnson something else: the chance to hide emotions, such as contempt when someone is standing too close to her in a checkout line, or boredom when a relative tells the same story for the tenth time.
“I am one of those people that cannot lie or get away with anything,” Johnson, who works in information technology, said. “It’s been pretty fun now that no one really knows, necessarily, what I’m thinking.”
As mask mandates ease across the country, many people are finding that their affinity for face coverings extends beyond health reasons. Even with no requirement to wear their masks, some people are continuing to do so — having come to appreciate the reprieve they provide from stifling social expectations while out in public.
These mask-wearers say they see a multitude of benefits to covering up. No one can tell you to smile when you don’t feel like it. It gives you a break from putting on makeup. And it provides a degree of anonymity.
Masks have consistently been one of the most divisive issues of the pandemic, and those still wearing theirs have received mixed responses.
Felipe, 32, who works in business administration for a small home health company in central Florida and asked to be identified by his first name only out of fear for his safety, recently found himself at the center of a social media maelstrom over what he thought was a benign tweet.
“Normalize wearing masks when you have any sort of cold/flu symptoms. Forever. It’s been nice to not even have a cold in over a year,” he wrote.
The tweet went viral, garnering more than 416,000 likes. But it also attracted criticism. Some people argued that he was infringing on their freedom, others called him crazy, and some called for him to be publicly beaten.
“I’m not saying it should be a law or a requirement,” Felipe said. “It’s an altruistic thought: Taking care of our neighbors, your community, your family. You can take one little step that’s not really that big of an inconvenience to help them out.”
Others feel the same way. Jason Cavallaro, 42, a primatologist in southwest Louisiana, still wears his mask most places, but believes at some point he will become what he calls a “situational masker” — putting on a mask mostly when he feels sick and must go out.
The public health benefits of masking combined with social distancing were striking this past year. U.S. flu deaths, normally in the tens of thousands annually, were significantly lower.
But while the experts see a place for masks going forward, most don’t believe everyone should wear them all the time.
Apr 25, 2022 · 1. When you’re feeling sick. You should wear a mask if you have COVID-19, whether or not you are required to. And if you have any respiratory symptoms such as a cough or sneezing, wearing a mask makes sense: if you have undiagnosed COVID-19 it will protect people around you from the virus.
Mar 1, 2024 · Generally, masks can help act as a filter to reduce the number of germs you breathe in or out. Their effectiveness can vary against different viruses, for example, based on the size of the virus. When worn by a person who has a virus, masks can reduce the chances they spread it to others.
Reviewed By: Lisa Lockerd Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H. Updated on January 11, 2024. Face masks provide protection against transmission of respiratory viruses. Additional steps to help the spread of respiratory viruses include hand washing, respiratory etiquette, and avoiding others when you are sick.
Mar 5, 2024 · Before this, the CDC recommended that people who test positive for COVID should isolate away from others for five days and wear a well-fitting mask around others for the following five days. This was different from the general guidance for other common respiratory viruses, like flu and RSV.
Nov 4, 2023 · By Mayo Clinic Staff. Can face masks help slow the spread of the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? Yes. When used with measures such as getting vaccinated, hand-washing and physical distancing, wearing a face mask slows how quickly the virus that causes COVID-19 spreads.
