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Aug 31, 2023 · As U.S. COVID cases rise, will mask mandates return? New COVID variants are fueling hospitalizations and prompting some schools and hospitals to reinstate mask mandates.
- Rachel Treisman
- Overview
- COVID variants and masks
As three new COVID-19 variants are spreading across the country, many people are wondering: Are masks coming back?
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not announced new mask mandates, some schools and businesses are reinstating this familiar pandemic-era rule — and depending on your situation, experts say you may want to consider it too.
"People 65-plus and people who are immunocompromised should strongly consider masking during flu, RSV, COVID season while in indoor public spaces," said Dr. Céline Gounder, a CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News. "And for everyone else — it all depends on what their risk tolerance is."
CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook says he likes to use the "weather report analogy" for the general public.
After COVID hospitalizations climbed nearly 22% this week, the CDC is predicting further increases over the coming month as new variants spread. This replaces previous projections from the agency that admissions would "remain stable or have an uncertain trend."
In a 2021 "60 Minutes" interview, virologist Paul Duprex explained the current (and future) emergence of new variants — a concept applicable to the current situation.
"Is there anything we can do to stop the virus from mutating so much?" LaPook asked Duprex at the time.
"We can certainly stop it making as many mutations by stopping it infecting as many people — if we block its transmission, if we wear a mask, if we get vaccinated, if we do social distancing," Duprex said.
After news broke about the BA.2.86 variant earlier this month, the CDC said the agency's advice on protecting yourself from COVID-19 — which includes wearing a high-quality mask among other recommendations listed on its website — "remains the same."
When determining when to be especially careful, LaPook said he thinks about what he'll be doing the next two weeks.
- Moniuszko
- 4 min
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