Everyone is tire of masks, it's understandable.
However:
Common sense science from Bloomberg this morning, not a fringe source.:
| ‘Not how to stop a pandemic’ |
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| Masks will no longer be required on (most) planes, trains and automobiles in the U.S. after a Florida judge ruled this week that the country’s top public health agency overstepped its federal authority to extend a mandate for public transit. Major airline carriers were quick to follow suit.
“We are relieved to see the U.S. mask mandate lift to facilitate global travel as COVID-19 has transitioned to an ordinary seasonal virus,” Delta Air Lines said in a memo to customers Monday evening announcing the carrier’s switch to mask-optional travel.
But after fielding blowback for calling Covid an “ordinary seasonal virus” Delta updated its memo the following day: “We are relieved to see the U.S. mask mandate lift to facilitate global travel as COVID-19 transitions to a more manageable respiratory virus — with better treatments, vaccines and other scientific measures to prevent serious illness.”
Although airplanes tend to have enhanced air filtration system, the risk of airborne transmission remains, especially for those who are immunocompromised. Photographer: Bing Guan/Bloomberg
As Americans are again divided over pandemic protocol, one thing is certain: Covid is most definitely not an ordinary seasonal virus — at least not yet. And based on what we know about the pathogen’s ability to spread through inhalation of aerosol particles (which can carry SARS-CoV-2), there’s reason to exercise caution as mask mandates drop.
When outdoors, aerosol particles are easily diluted, but indoors, especially in poorly ventilated spaces, they can linger in the air and be inhaled by others sharing the area. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the particles can stay suspended in air for minutes — or even hours.
“This is not the right time to get rid of masks,” says Abraar Karan, an infectious disease physician at Stanford University. Karan says that placing the onus of mitigating risk on individuals is “not how to stop a pandemic.”
Although airplanes tend to have enhanced air-filtration systems — some scientists are even studying how well these filters catch Covid — risk of airborne transmission remains, especially for those who are immunocompromised. Karan says that risk is even higher in crowded subway cars or packed buses where ventilation may not be as good.
Though not effective as a public health strategy, one-way masking does have some benefit, Karan says. He recommends a well-fitting respirator-style mask, such as a KN95 or N95, and replacing it when no longer viable. It’s important to ensure the mask fits snugly over both your face and mouth. — Madison Muller
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