COVID-19 infection rates have steadily been on the rise, leading businesses and local governments to consider reinstating controversial mask mandates.
Masks have been at the core of the political controversy on COVID-19 mitigation strategies, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention flip-flopped on the efficacy of masks in early 2020.
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Eventually, 39 states enacted mask mandates based on CDC recommendations and local case counts.
Now, as case counts and hospitalization rates have ticked up for the past five weeks in a row, one major hospital system in San Francisco and two in New York are reinstituting mask mandates for staff and patients due to rising case counts in their areas, as is Morris Brown College in Atlanta. Lionsgate Film Studios in Hollywood is also requiring masks for nearly half of its Santa Monica employees.
It’s time to reinstitute masking in clinical healthcare settings, as well as for people at increased risk of complications from COVID. https://t.co/VICecE2meI
— Jonathan Reiner (@JReinerMD) August 23, 2023
Some public health experts are advising those with chronic preexisting conditions that weaken the immune system, such as HIV, diabetes, heart disease, or cancer, as well as senior citizens to monitor case counts in their local areas and take extra precautions, including masking.
Others, however, say that masks are ineffective at preventing respiratory illnesses in general.
A meta-analysis study published in February found that even respirators, such as N95 masks, “probably [made] little to no difference” in catching or transmitting flu, COVID-19, or other respiratory illnesses.
The study reviewed 78 randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy of standard surgical masks to respirators, as well as other physical interventions, such as hand washing and social distancing.
Lack of compliance with proper wearing of face masks, especially N95s that require tight fitting, contributed to the low efficacy results, according to researchers.
N95 masks are the most effective against small particles and are recommended by both the CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency to protect against toxic air pollution, such as that from wildfire smoke.
N95 respirator masks have been found to have 95% filtration efficacy for particles that are 0.1-0.3 microns in size. The size of the average SARS-CoV-2 particle is between 0.07 and 0.09 microns, significantly smaller than particulate matter air pollutants.
The EPA specifically states that cloth or surgical masks are ineffective against particles smaller than 0.3 microns.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) was the only Republican candidate during the first debate in Milwaukee on Wednesday to address COVID-19 lockdown policy and mask mandates, promising the American people that he would “never let the deep state … lock you down.”
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring three new variants, including the highly mutated BA 2.86 variant, nicknamed Pirola.
Although there is little data on Pirola, the Food and Drug Administration previously told the Washington Examiner that, based on currently available data, the newest COVID-19 vaccinations will protect against the most serious symptoms of infection from currently circulating variants of the virus.
