Dr. Gupta reacts to the abrupt end of mask wearing on public transport 2:03
(CNN) ––
The mandatory use of masks imposed by the Joe Biden administration on airplanes and other means of public transportation was rescinded, after a federal judge in Florida reviewed a ruling and annulled the order.
Some passengers applauded the decision on Monday, while others decided to continue using the means of protection.
Here's what you need to know about the new US rules for wearing masks on flights
Masks offer the most protection against the spread of airborne virus-carrying particles when everyone wears them.
But some research also suggests that they can themselves protect the wearer by acting as a barrier between particles and the nose and mouth.
"I was actually flying yesterday when the mask requirement was lifted from public transportation. I definitely kept my mask on for the entire flight," shared Chris Cappa, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California. California in Davis, who studies aerosol particles and face masks, in an email Tuesday.
While traveling from Sacramento to San Diego, Cappa watched as the number of passengers keeping their masks on dropped sharply.
"I will continue to use my N95, for a while, while traveling. Personally, I am more concerned when I am in small, crowded spaces, like airplanes, than when I am in large, relatively open spaces, like airports," Cappa said.
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Individual use of the mask
Some airlines no longer require masks: see the reaction of passengers 0:50
When one person wears a mask and others do not, it is called individual use of the mask.
"The level of protection from individual mask use largely depends on two factors: how well the mask fits you, and how effectively the mask material filters particles that can carry a virus. Generally, masks like N95s and KN95s will provide more protection than surgical or cloth masks, because they can create a tighter seal against your face. And surgical masks tend to filter better than cloth masks with a similar fit," Cappa wrote.
"However, different masks will fit different faces better or worse, so it's important to find one that fits you well. For example, you could adjust the ear loops to make the mask fit more," he said.
"Even the best mask is only as good as its fit. But a well-fitting N95 can reduce the amount of potentially infectious particles you breathe in by more than a factor of 20," she added.
Nearly two years after face masks were made mandatory for US travelers, the mandate's abrupt end sparks excitement and confusion
Cappa noted that even if everyone around you is without a mask, wearing a well-fitting N95 can reduce the amount of infectious particles you might inhale.
"If, hypothetically, there were 100 infectious particles that you were about to breathe in without a mask, you would only inhale five or fewer of them with a well-fitting N95," she explained in his email.
What kind of mask?
Cloth face coverings ––which were recommended earlier in the pandemic when other protective items were in short supply–– can filter large droplets.
But the most effective masks, like N95s, can filter those as well as smaller aerosols or particles that infected people may exhale.
This was explained in December by Erin Bromage, associate professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
Judge overturns mandate of use of masks in transport 1:14
N95 masks that have been approved by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) can filter at least 95% of airborne particles when used correctly, according to the Centers for Occupational Safety and Health. for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Surgical or disposable masks are 5% to 10% less effective than N95s, Bromage noted.
A CDC study, published in February, found that people who said they always wore a mask indoors while out in public were less likely to test positive for COVID-19 than people who did not wear a mask between February and December. of 2021.
A new @CDCMMWR study shows that people who reported always wearing masks or respirators in indoor public settings in California were less likely to test positive for #COVID19 compared with those who reported not wearing a face covering.
Learn more.
https://t.co/T8gaqiPHyI pic.twitter.com/6UJ9cs60NK
— CDC (@CDCgov) February 4, 2022
Among more than 500 people who reported the type of mask they wear, wearing one "decreased the odds of testing positive" for COVID-19 by 56% among those wearing cloth masks, 66% among those wearing surgical masks, and 83% among those wearing cloth masks. those who wore N95s or KN95s, compared to people who didn't, according to the CDC.
Now, "if everyone else stops wearing masks, those percentages could go down," Cappa warned CNN.
Dr. Preeti Malani, director of healthcare for the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, has been treating people with COVID-19 for more than two years.
Her patients often don't wear masks, but she does.
On these US airlines, masks are now optional
“To my knowledge, I have not had covid-19,” Malani said.
"So the personal protection of masks works very well, especially when combined with vaccination and good ventilation."
Malani added that she feels it is safe to travel, even for those who might be at higher risk of more severe COVID-19 illness.
Especially if they follow mitigation measures like getting vaccinated, getting tested, and wearing high-quality masks that fit well.
Yes, even if those around them are without masks.
“It doesn't mean you can't use public transportation.
It means you have to think about it,” she said.
In that sense, he added that he is more concerned about the spread of covid-19 in a crowded bar than on a plane where the air ventilation is of high quality.
Other methods of protection
Philadelphia imposes use of masks due to increase in cases 2:24
"When you wear a mask in addition to vaccination, ventilation, possible screening and social distancing, you can keep that risk manageable," Malani said.
"What I don't want to see is people suddenly being so afraid of covid-19 that they don't travel anymore."
This week, she will travel to Lisbon, Portugal, to attend a meeting of the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.
"I plan to wear my mask on the plane," she said, not because she's worried about getting seriously ill from covid-19, but because she doesn't want to delay the trip home if she catches it abroad.
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Cappa wrote in his email that the "riskiest" time for pathogens to spread during travel is when people are "stationary."
For example, when everyone lines up to disembark from a plane.
"This is because air exchange -- which helps keep the air clean -- inside planes, buses and trains tends to be greater when (the vehicle) is in motion," he said.
"On a plane, you can open the vents (if your plane has them) and direct them towards you, because the air that comes out has been filtered. Also, if you are talking to other people, it is always useful to keep a certain distance," he added.
"Of course, that's not always possible on public transport, in which case it can be helpful to try to avoid direct breath from your neighbors," she said.
ANALYSIS |
The ruling that annuls the CDC mandate for the use of masks in public transportation generates mixed emotions and concerns in the Biden administration
On the other hand, Dr. Vivek Cherian, a Chicago-based Internal Medicine doctor and father of three young children, believes it's too soon to reverse mandatory mask-wearing for travel.
"In my view, we should not suspend mask mandates in this country until everyone who wants a vaccine has access and opportunity to receive one, including children under the age of five," Cherian wrote in an email. , this Tuesday.
"If you are immunosuppressed or have family members who are immunosuppressed or unvaccinated, individual mask use can still be effective. The key is to use the best mask available, preferably one with an N95 respirator, as they offer a high degree of protection." , he explained. "I continue to wear masks because my three children are under five years old and are not eligible for vaccines at this time," he completed.
CNN's Kristen Rogers contributed to this report.
Covid-19 masks
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