Masking up is one of the first things we did to slow the spread of Covid-19.
And it worked.
Study after study has shown that when we implemented and followed mask mandates cases fell.
But now those mandates are being lifted
and guidance from public health experts is changing.
For many of us, it feels like we’re headed toward a new phase in the pandemic
But it’s not over.
Not yet.
So as we weather the third year with Covid-19
what do we do with the masks?
The ideal risk mitigation is to have everyone wearing masks.
But, of course, we’re not going to wear masks all the time for the rest of our lives.
Moving forward...
It will be left more to individuals in most settings
to decide whether they feel like they're at higher risk
or it's a higher risk setting where they want to wear a mask.
Fortunately, evidence shows that masks still offer
protection even if you’re the only person wearing one.
Especially N95 or KN95 types, which have proven to be exceptionally effective.
This applies even if you’re vaccinated and boosted.
Layering your protection can reduce the chance of a breakthrough infection.
What I would hope is that people would view masks as
a wonderful, inexpensive medical intervention.
So when you’re deciding whether or not to mask up, consider the weather.
Not the real weather. Pandemic weather.
Which can rapidly change from week to week.
If it’s looking bad, you might want to bring an umbrella
as in... wear a mask.
We're in an evolving situation. We have been since the beginning of 2020.
But there are some principles we can follow here.
Starting with assessing the case rates or hospitalizations around the community.
So looking at cases per 100,000
you really want it to be at least under 10 per 100000.
Ideally in single digits.
And not just for one day
but you could look at something like the 7 or 14 day average for an area.
Luckily, you can find that data on a variety of websites
including the CDC, NY Times, Johns Hopkins or even by simply searching on Google.
These numbers will change depending on the location.
And also over time.
There’s some evidence that Covid could eventually be seasonal, like the flu.
Which means cases may drop in the spring or summer.
Only to spike again in the fall and winter.
Next, it’s important to consider the environment.
Being outside is a really good start.
We're heading into spring and I think there will be less tendency to be indoors in crowded spaces,
poorly ventilated spaces, for example.
So that also helps with reduction of transmission.
But if you’re indoors you should take a few things into consideration.
Ventilation and the number of people.
The size of the space and then the time that you spend in that space
those are the main factors.
A packed, indoor concert, for example,
is going to be a higher risk than going to a grocery store
where the people are more spaced out.
And events or locations that are checking vaccination status
or requiring a negative test are even lower risk.
But even then you need to consider one other factor...
yourself.
That includes assessing your own risk of severe
disease and hospitalization and possibly even death.
And that has to do, of course, with your underlying medical conditions
whether or not you're immunosuppressed
whether or not you've been vaccinated and boosted.
Even if you yourself are low risk
you should also consider how dangerous an infection would be
for people closest to you.
We’ve learned a lot since the beginning of the pandemic
and you’ve heard it a thousand times:
“We’re all in this together.”
Your actions and decisions will continue to affect those around you.
If you are in one of those lower risk categories and
don't have to wear a mask in all those settings
understand that if the risk rises again, you might need to.
We're not trying to stop every runny nose in the country.
We're really trying to prevent people from going to the hospital
and we're trying to prevent our health care system from falling apart.
In the meantime,
be mindful and show some compassion for other people who may be masking up while you’re not.
Because your cloudy day
may be someone else’s hurricane.