CHICAGO – Although millions of people are completely vaccinated against COVID-19, there is still a long way to go before we return to our pre-pandemic lifestyles. This week, in a series of reports, we look at some of the big questions many have about recovering from normalcy.
The pandemic has made wearing masks ubiquitous. In many places, masks are needed to enter restaurants, airports and schools. So when can we stop wearing masks safely?
“I think it’s better to think about it,‘ When can I do X without wearing a mask? And the answer to that question is really different for the different activities, explained Dr. Emily Landon, chief epidemiologist and executive medical director of infection prevention and control at the University of Chicago Medicine.
“I think that over time you will be doing more and more things without a mask. And unless there are cases, you have to put on your mask again to get more stuff. “
Dr. Landon says right now it is safe for people who are completely vaccinated not to wear a mask around others who are completely vaccinated.
“Once I am completely vaccinated, can I spend time with other people who are completely vaccinated in my home without a mask? I think it’s probably pretty safe, ”he explained.
The CDC on Monday released guidelines stating that fully vaccinated people can also safely meet with a small group, such as another home, even if that group has not yet been vaccinated, as long as they are not at risk. elevated from suffering from severe COVID-19 disease. .
During the years 1918 and 1919, the flu pandemic that killed some 675,000 people in the U.S. and carried germ shields, as it was called, lasted for years. But historians point out that resistance, inconsistency, and inadequate masking, along with the use of ineffective materials, probably lengthened the need.
Texas and Mississippi have recently reopened completely, terminating mask mandates to join more than a dozen other states that do not require them.
“Personal surveillance is still needed to follow security standards to contain COVID. It’s that state mandates are no longer necessary, ”Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at the time.
Critics say it’s too early.
Dr. Landon says that as positivity rates go down and vaccination rates go up, we will see some mask requirements loosen up pretty quickly.
“I think that this summer, you will see a lot of people able to do outdoor activities without a mask. I think in the fall, you’ll see a lot of places start to relax some of their masking restrictions, ”Dr. Landon said.
But it will be some time before immunity is high enough for the entire population so that we can safely unmask ourselves in indoor public spaces, such as grocery stores and restaurants, when we meet people we don’t know.
Dr. Landon says that over the next year or two, wearing masks will not go away altogether. If we see that virus cases increase seasonally, as in winter, it may be necessary to wear masks.
“I think it’s going to be that kind of drive, you know, riding the waves of masking,” Dr. Landon said.
While it’s too early to throw off your masks (depending on the circumstances and who you’re around), you may be able to wear them less and less.