Fauci says fully vaccinated people “might consider” wearing a mask indoors as a precaution against the Delta variant

• Fully vaccinated Americans might “consider” indoor masks, Dr Fauci said.

• Fauci said the Delta variant had “extraordinary person-to-person transmission capability.”

• Americans who are more fully vaccinated receive COVID-19, albeit with milder or no symptoms.

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Dr Anthony Fauci, America’s top doctor, said fully vaccinated people might “consider” wearing masks indoors to help protect against the Delta coronavirus variant, which is spreading rapidly through the country.

Dr Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, told CNBC on Wednesday that “if you want to go the extra mile to be safe even if you get vaccinated when you’re indoors, especially in crowded places, you may want to consider wearing a mask. “

Fauci explained that wearing a mask indoors was “suggested” when a virus spread rapidly in a community.

The Delta variant is more infectious and has mutations that help it bypass the body’s immune response. As it spreads in the United States, more fully vaccinated Americans are catching COVID-19 – albeit with milder symptoms, if any at all.

“This virus is clearly different from viruses and variants that we have had experience with before. It has an extraordinary ability for person-to-person transmission,” Fauci said.

The Centers for Disease for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks except in certain situations, such as during flights.

States, workplaces and businesses can enforce their own mask rules.

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The public health body has come under pressure to revise its guidance in recent weeks due to the emergence of the Delta variant, which is at least 50% more infectious than the once-dominant Alpha variant.

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Delta now accounts for 83% of all new infections in the United States. The country recorded 52,032 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Former Surgeon General Dr Jerome Adams said on Sunday that “emerging data suggests the CDC should advise to vax it and cover it up.” The World Health Organization said on June 26 that fully vaccinated people should wear masks in public places.

More than 161 million Americans are fully vaccinated, or 48% of the population, according to the Centers for Disease for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some states have already urged fully vaccinated citizens to put on their masks.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said on June 28 that it “strongly recommends that everyone, regardless of immunization status, wear masks indoors in public places as a precaution. “, citing the more infectious Delta variant.

Clark County, Nevada, home to Las Vegas, reintroduced indoor mask warrants for all workers Wednesday.

Despite his take on masks, Fauci said that “the easiest, best and most effective way to prevent the emergence of a new variant and crush the already existing Delta variant is to have everyone vaccinated. “.

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is 88% effective in preventing COVID-19 with symptoms caused by the Delta variant, according to actual UK data released Wednesday.

In the United States, 99.5% of deaths from COVID-19 are unvaccinated people. “It’s a statistic that speaks for itself,” Fauci said.

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