The United States again recommended that vaccinated people wear a mask indoors

Before high daily number of people infected with coronavirus in the United States, Due to the circulation of the new variants, the authorities of the Centers for Disaster Control and Prevention (CDC) they recommended again people must wear a mask indoors even if they are fully vaccinated, corn only for cities or regions with high transmission rates of COVID-19.

Federal health officials still believe that fully vaccinated people represent a very small amount of transmission, according to sources. Still, some could have higher levels of the virus than previously thought and potentially pass the virus on to others, they said.

That’s why the CDC reversed the trend of some masking guidelines on Tuesday, recommending that even vaccinated people resume wearing masks indoors in parts of the United States where the coronavirus is on the rise. Citing new information about the ability of the Delta variant to spread among those vaccinated, the CDC also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors to the school, regardless vaccination status.

Many cities had already started requiring that even fully vaccinated people wear masks in public. There are exceptions for those who eat or drink while sitting in a restaurant or bar.

Change of address

Last May, the CDC withdrew the chinstrap directive for people vaccinated in the United States, but cities like Los Angeles and Philadelphia reinstated the mandate. Community transmission and personal risk levels are two factors to consider, experts say.

COVID vaccines have been shown to be effective against the more severe versions of the disease which lead to hospitalization and death. But the experts say It is not the same for everyone and people need to consider factors such as community transmission, personal risk levels and their own risk tolerance when deciding what is in their best interest.

Today, the United States experiences two realities regarding COVID. On the one hand, the alarming increase in cases caused by the Delta variant, the most contagious to date, in low inoculation areas, which slowed down considerably. And on the other, the With 80% of seniors fully immune, the average daily death toll remains at 200, far less than the 3,500 during last winter’s worst wave of infections.

More than 97% of people hospitalized are not vaccinated, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said last week. Meanwhile, 99.5% of deaths have been among the unvaccinated, Vivek Murthy, the government’s top medical authority, said over the weekend.

Walensky defended May’s recommendations on chinstrap, noting that the CDC has always said communities and individuals should take local conditions into account. “If you are in an area with a high case rate and a low vaccination rate (…) you should definitely wear a mask if you are not vaccinated”, He said. And while you still get “exceptional vaccine protection”, “you can make the personal decision to add layers of protection if you wish.”

Chinstrap in public transport

Last week, a senior US official who signed a comprehensive order on the the use of masks in almost all forms of public transport argued that they are a key tool in preventing the transmission of COVID-19, even before calls from some lawmakers to end the standard.

Marty Cetron, director of the Division of Global Migration and Quarantine at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told Reuters on Thursday that the agency’s “current position” was that the order should not be survey. “Masks are really powerful and we have to make sure they are part of our arsenal“He said in an interview. “We don’t just wear masks to protect ourselves, but because that’s how we take care of others and express our concern for others.”

Rules in force since January require all travelers to wear masks on planes, boats, trains, subways, buses, taxis and carpools and at transport hubs such as airports, bus terminals or ferry, train and metro stations and ports. “The truth is, those who haven’t been vaccinated are extremely vulnerable“Cetron said, especially in a closed transport center” where ventilation may not be optimized. “

A group of Republican lawmakers this week introduced legislation banning orders to wear masks on public transport, arguing they no longer make sense due to the growing number of Americans getting vaccinated. Republican Representative Andy Biggs said the rules on masks on public transport “are only enforced by those who like to control our daily lives.”

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