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Will the mask protect me even if no one is wearing it? This is what the experts say

2022-02-09T13:59:39.648Z


California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Oregon, and other states are rethinking mask mandates in public spaces and schools.


By Berkeley Lovelace Jr. -

NBC News

US states are beginning to end some indoor mask mandates as cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 continue to decline.

California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Oregon and other states are rethinking mask mandates in public spaces and schools as many Americans say they are tired of wearing them indoors.

[COVID-19 Cases, Hospitalizations Still Too High to Stop Wearing a Mask: CDC Director]

The mask was once considered an essential tool to prevent the spread of coronavirus to others, but pandemic strategies have changed as more vaccines and treatments became available and the country began to move towards a "new normal."

Although most health experts agree that masks for everyone, along with vaccinations, remain the best public health strategy against the spread of the virus, people can still benefit from wearing a mask even if no one around you does.

“Of course, you are much more protected than if you don't wear a mask

,” says Lawrence Gostin, professor of public health at Johns Hopkins University and director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for National and Global Health Law.

However, because the omicron variant is so contagious and remains so widespread in the United States, the mask's protection may be somewhat less, regardless of one's vaccination status, said Cheryl Healton, dean of the School of Global Public Health from New York University.

“Those who are not wearing a mask can transmit the coronavirus to them, and they can, in turn, transmit it to others,” Healton said.

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A mask should provide some protection in an environment where no one is wearing it, assuming it's well-fitting and worn correctly, said Bill Hanage, an epidemiologist at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers on its website tips for correctly wearing the mask, which should cover the nose and mouth and be fastened under the chin.

The type and quality of the mask are also important.

A CDC study released Friday found that people who consistently wear a high-quality mask, such as an N95 or KN95, in an indoor public setting appear to have a better chance of avoiding COVID-19 infection.

The CDC report looked at randomly selected California residents who had received a positive or negative test result for the coronavirus between February 18 and December 1.

It was found that when someone wore a cloth mask, the odds of testing positive were reduced by 56%.

A surgical mask reduced the chances by 66%.

People wearing an N95 or KN95 were 83% less likely to test positive for COVID-19.

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The report came weeks after the agency updated its mask guidance for the general public, stating that people "may choose" to wear N95 and KN95 masks because they offer the best protection against this virus.

An N95-gauge mask can “provide you with the most optimal protection possible, regardless of what those around you are doing,” said Ranu Dhillon, an epidemic response specialist at Harvard Medical School.

Masks are so good because of the way the fibers are arranged and because they often contain an electro-charged layer that can neutralize the virus that enters or leaves the mask.

A group of people wearing face masks walk down Main Street USA at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., Monday, Dec. 27, 2021. Ringo HW Chiu / AP

Carrying an N95 allows people to "live as normally as possible, but still be safe," Dhillon said.

Some people find N95 masks uncomfortable to wear, but “there are a number of N95 masks that are more comfortable than cloth or surgical masks.”

Gostin, of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for National and Global Health Law, said "the higher quality the mask, the better."

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"If you're wearing a well-fitting N95 or KN95 mask, you're definitely much more protected than if you're not wearing a mask," he said.

And the more people who carry it around them, the greater the protection, he added.

However, even the best N95 won't protect against infection if people don't wear it.

The virus can spread great distances, even in enclosed spaces like restaurants and bars, where people are often without masks and in close proximity to each other, said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease physician and associate professor of medicine at the University of Toronto.

A CDC report released in March found that the reopening of restaurants during the early months of the pandemic in 2020 led to a spike in cases after more than a month.

“I know that sounds painfully obvious,” Bogoch noted.

“You can have the best quality masks.

However, if you take it off for extended periods of time indoors, for example eating, then it's not going to provide significant protection."

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2022-02-09

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