![]() Even if you don’t have COVID-19 but have a bad cold or flu, it’s worth protecting people – for people with weak immune systems, these illnesses can still take a heavy toll. And if you have any respiratory symptoms such as a cough or sneezing, wearing a mask makes sense: if you have undiagnosed COVID-19 it will protect people around you from the virus. You should wear a mask if you have COVID-19, whether or not you are required to. There are still situations where it is advisable to mask up – here are five examples. So what do you if many around you are not wearing masks but you’re still worried about catching COVID-19? Maybe you would ideally not wear them, but you’re not convinced either that it’s time to get rid of masks entirely given how high transmission is in many places. In Singapore, where the mandate to wear masks indoors in public places has just been lifted, many are still wearing them. It’s clear that perception of risk and government messaging plays into whether or not people wear masks. But there is a significant proportion of people who continue to mask up, above all, those particularly vulnerable to the disease or those who live with people that are. Those who have long felt face masks were unnecessary have been jubilant at one more signifier of “getting back to normal”. If they choose not to wear a mask, this means we are likely interacting every day with people who have COVID-19 and who are not stopping themselves from spreading it. However, as mask mandates have eased so have quarantine requirements, meaning that in many countries people are not required to stay home for seven to ten days, and can instead go about their daily lives. When using a mask for personal protection, a well-fitting mask shown to reduce the wearer’s exposure to small particles, such as an N-95 mask, is the best choice. Regardless of the situation, not all masks are equally effective in protecting the wearer from COVID-19 transmission. Under the new CDC guidelines, people can stop wearing masks sooner if they test negative on two rapid antigen tests, taken at least 48 hours apart. The US Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) no longer recommend that people with COVID-19 quarantine and wear a mask for 10 full days. ![]() ![]() ![]() Many airlines have scrapped mask mandates too, with Spain remaining the only EU country where masks are mandatory on planes. As much as many of us might want to move on from the pandemic, in late August this year we reached the devastating milestone of one million deaths in 2022 alone.ĭespite this, mask mandates in public spaces are continuing to be lifted around the world, with most countries maintaining the compulsory use of masks only in hospitals or pharmacies. Since the start of the pandemic, more than six million people have died of COVID-19. ![]()
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