CDC mask reversal: Vaccines must wear masks in many places amid increased

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Enlarge / Self-sew protective face masks in a fabric store on April 3, 2020, in Jena, Germany. Covid-19 coverage See more stories

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday that fully vaccinated Americans should return to mask disguise in schools and areas where COVID-19 is highly or highly prevalent.

The CDC says its stark reversal of mask guidance is driven by the current rise in COVID-19 cases and the spread of the highly transmissible delta variant, which is now prevalent in the United States and is believed to be more than twice as contagious as previous versions of the virus.

Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says new data from outbreak investigations in the United States and elsewhere indicates that fully vaccinated people who have had an identical infection with the delta variant carry similar levels of viral loads in their airways as people Non-vaccinated people with the delta variant. This raises the concern that fully vaccinated people could spread the delta variant to others.

‘The vast majority of transmission occurs [in the US] Speaking through unvaccinated individuals,” Rochelle Wallinsky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, emphasized in a press conference Tuesday. She also noted that “vaccines continue to do an exceptional job in protecting the vaccinated individual from severe illness, hospitalization, and death, Even against a mild illness.”

“But unlike the alpha variant we had in May, where we didn’t think if you were vaccinated, you could pass more, and that’s different now with the delta variant,” she said. This new concern “unfortunately warrants an update to our recommendation”.

New recommendations

The CDC now recommends that all fully vaccinated people wear a mask in indoor public spaces when local transmission levels of COVID-19 are “high” or “substantial.” The agency defines “high” transmission as more than 100 new cases of COVID-19 out of 100,000 people within seven days, while “significant” is defined as 50 to 99 cases out of 100,000 over seven days.

These tariffs currently apply to a large area of ​​the country. As of Tuesday, 46 percent of counties nationwide have high transmission levels, and an additional 17 percent of counties have significant transmission, the Centers for Disease Control reports. All or nearly all counties in Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, Missouri, and Mississippi are included. The southeastern United States in general has become an epicenter of transmission in recent weeks, along with many areas in the Midwest. Many counties in many states have had case rates of over 500 per 100,000 in the past seven days.

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In addition, the CDC now recommends blanket concealment in all K-12 schools. That is, all teachers, staff and students, regardless of vaccination status, must wear masks in schools.

As before, unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people – even those who have recovered from COVID-19 – should continue to wear masks, practice social distancing and get vaccinated as soon as possible. Anyone who has questions about vaccinations should consult a doctor.

The new recommendations for full vaccination are a shift from the agency’s previous guidance from May 13, which said fully vaccinated people are very well protected from the pandemic coronavirus and no longer need to hide the truth in most places. However, this directive has been seen as abrupt and premature, and has sparked controversy since it was announced. Among the main criticisms is that it is currently impossible to determine the vaccination status in most settings, because it puts people at risk, and has not taken into account local conditions that may require more precautions, such as a high rate of transmission and low vaccination rates.

about the face

In May, transmission levels were on the decline, and the delta variable had not yet taken hold in the United States. Now, with Delta dominating the country, cases are increasing nationwide. At the press conference, Walinsky said directing the mask will help lower the rate of transmission, which is critical for everyone — not just the unvaccinated.

As a pandemic virus has more opportunities to spread and infect people, it has more opportunities to mutate and evolve into more treacherous variants. Walinsky cautioned that future variables could further thwart protection from vaccination.

In addition, the new mask guidelines will protect not only those who do not wish to be vaccinated but also those who cannot be protected. This includes children who are still not eligible for vaccination and people who are immunocompromised who may not be well protected.

In closing remarks, Walinsky addressed the frustration she expects in response to the new directives, given the length of the pandemic to date, mental health struggles, and vaccine hesitancy causing preventable mutations, and fully vaccinated people now being asked to take mitigation efforts again. .

“It is not welcome news that masking will be a part of the lives of people who have already been vaccinated,” she admitted. But she said experts who consulted with the CDC “globally” supported the change to the cover-up. “It wasn’t something we took very seriously, and it’s something that I know greatly affects me and the whole of America.”

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