Why Masks Still Matter

During the COVID-19 pandemic, masks were weaponized for partisan purposes. “The politicization of mask use,” says William Hanage, infectious disease epidemiologist at Harvard University, “makes as much sense as politicizing gravity.” Masks are simply a tool—a protective barrier—that can help to reduce the spread of respiratory infections, just as condoms are a barrier that can reduce the spread of sexually transmitted infections. And as we head into winter, with rising rates of multiple respiratory viruses, including flu, RSV, and new coronavirus variants, masks could help all Americans to avoid getting sick. Mask use is on the decline in the United States. Recent public polling shows that nearly two thirds of Americans never or rarely wear a mask outside their homes, a sharp rise from just a quarter during the height of the Omicron wave in January 2022. There are many reasons for the decline in masking. These include pandemic fatigue, a justified perception that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us (there has been a sustained decline in daily COVID-19 deaths), widespread COVID-19 vaccination (80% of Americans have now had at least one vaccine dose), reduced federal and state efforts to provide free high quality masks to the public, and the removal of mask mandates. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Despite these trends, it is important for the public to know that community masking can help prevent the spread of a rang...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 freelance Source Type: news