Why wear a face mask even if your state does not require it?

Why wear a face mask even if your state does not require it?

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“We are not out of the woods. We have not yet reached the end of the pandemic,” said Dr. Leana Wen, medical analyst at CNN, said. “It is counterproductive and outraged that these governors are treating it as if the pandemic is over. That is not true.”

“We could be on the brink of a fourth upheaval, and we have a way of preventing it, and that keeps our precaution going for a while longer,” she said.

Here are five reasons why experts say you should wear a face mask, even if your state does not require it:

Masks save lives

The science is clear: wearing face masks saves lives.

Several studies have shown that masks are the most effective way to protect yourself and others from contracting the coronavirus, which causes Covid-19.

In provinces where masks are needed, the Covid-19 case and death rates are slowing down, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The best way to reduce coronavirus is by wearing a mask

Mask mandates were associated with a 0.7 percentage point decrease in the daily mortality rate of Covid-19 up to 20 days after implementation and a decrease of up to 1.9 percentage points up to 100 days later, according to new research published by the CDC on Friday.

“Masks are a two-way street. Masks protect you and me” by preventing the spread of droplets and aerosol that the virus may contain, the CDC says in its mask guide.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading expert on infectious diseases, has even started wearing two masks.

“There are a lot of people who use the approach of common sense,” he told CNN. “If you’re talking about a physical barrier – and as the CDC recommends, you want at least two layers in the mask as a physical barrier – and you feel that more of a physical barrier would be better, there’s nothing wrong. with people not. wearing two masks. I often wear two masks. “

The CDC released new data last week suggesting that double masking could significantly improve protection.

If a cloth mask is placed over a medical procedure mask, such as a disposable blue surgical mask, 92.5% of the potential infectious particles can be prevented from escaping by creating a tighter fit and eliminating leakage. .

Masks can help protect pandemic gains

The United States has made great progress in the fight against Covid-19, including the development of safety protocols, improved treatment plans and vaccinations.

The number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths has decreased in many states since January, and nearly 90 million doses of vaccines have already been administered.
Study: Mask mandates linked to fewer Covid-19 diseases

But if you abandon face masks now, the benefits could be reversed, health experts warn.

With tens of thousands of Americans still being infected daily, and discovering more communicable variants, it’s more important than ever to wear face masks and follow other safety guidelines.
“Please hear me clearly: at this level of cases with variants spreading, we could completely lose the hard-earned ground we have gained,” said dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said.

“I’m really concerned about reports that more states are backtracking on the exact public health measures we have recommended to protect people from Covid-19.” ‘Please remain strong in your conviction. Continue to wear your well-fitting mask and take the other public health prevention measures that we believe work. ‘

Masks protect even vaccinated

Health experts say vaccinated people should continue to wear face masks, for the protection and safety of others.

A vaccine does not mean that you can stop wearing a mask

None of the three authorized vaccines – Pfizer-BioNtech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson – are 100% effective. If you are still wearing a face mask after receiving a vaccine, it may provide extra personal protection.

It may also help stop the spread of Covid-19. This is because the vaccines are effective in preventing symptomatic and serious illnesses. But it is not clear that it prevents people from becoming asymptomatic carriers and spreading it to others.

Wen said Americans will have to keep wearing masks until we reach herd immunity.

“It is estimated that about 70% of Americans need to be vaccinated before we get immunity in herds through vaccination. This is the point where enough people have the immune protection that the virus will no longer spread,” she said. “That means about 230 million Americans should receive the vaccine.”

Masks are a sign of respect

In states without mask commands, people who wear them can feel out of place.

In any case, they must continue to carry it, not as a political statement, but as a sign of respect for vulnerable members of the community.

Advice: You have no right to kill me
Many people, including the elderly and immune users, are at a much greater risk for serious diseases and even death due to Covid-19. Wearing a mask shows that you care about their well-being.
“It’s not about politics,” Wen said in July. “It’s about each of us showing that we care about each other, that we respect each other.”

Dr. Joshua Barocas, a doctor at Infectious Diseases at Boston Medical Center, confirmed her sentiment.

“I think beyond the viral transmission, wearing a mask can only be a symbol,” he said. ‘It can show people that you’re committed to the cause, that you’re committed to fighting Covid-19 as a community … committed to protecting the lives of others and their children’s lives and the lives of their families. committed to a strong economy is open when we are completely ready. ‘

Masks will help US return to normal

The pandemic cut off people from family, friends, work, school, religious services and more.

Refusal to wear a mask does not bring anything back. All it does is further delay our return to normalcy and make life much more dangerous, experts say.

“People say, ‘When’s it going to be normal again and I no longer have to wear my mask?'” Wen said. “This is not the right way to think about it. We want our businesses to come back, we want our churches to be open to personal service and our schools to be open to personal learning. We need masks to do that. to do.”

Wen said it all starts with our mindset. The faster we realize that masks do not limit, but enable us to return to normal, the faster we get there.

She said that mask wearers and non-wearers ultimately want the same thing: that the country should be normal again.

“We’re so close to the finish line, and that’s the most tragic part of it all. If you just hang in there a little longer, we’ll put an end to this pandemic,” she said.

CNN’s Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.

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