When Can We Take Our Masks Off?

When Can We Take Our Masks Off?

  • 기자명 Daniel Park
  • 입력 2022.05.04 17:48
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[The Public = Daniel Park] As the coronavirus infection (COVID-19) continues to decline, quarantine regulations are gradually loosening. Also, the question of when to start taking off the mask is growing.

On the 20th, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said, “The importance of wearing a mask is still great. There is an observation that it will be possible to take off the mask outdoors in May. Until now, it is mandatory to wear a mask when a 2m distance cannot be maintained indoors and outdoors, or when a large number of people gather.”

The quarantine authorities plan to keep wearing a mask indoors for a long time, where there is a high possibility of transmission by droplet. As masks are recognized as the most effective means to prevent infection, it is likely to be the last remaining regulation.

In the United States, no-masks are allowed in public facilities and public transportation.
The United States, which once had a great conflict over wearing a mask, has begun the process of lifting the mandatory wearing of a mask.

According to foreign media such as Reuters, a federal court in Florida in the United States on the 18th (local time) ruled that the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which mandated wearing masks in public transportation, were invalidated. Within a day of the verdict, major airlines such as Delta and United, Amtrak, the U.S. Railroad Corporation, and ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft quickly changed wearing a mask as an option.

Originally, the CDC extended the wearing of masks until early May due to an increase in mutant infections, but this ruling made it ineffective. The White House said it would consider appeals, saying that public health decisions are a matter for experts to decide, but most states have repealed regulations requiring wearing of masks indoors and outdoors.

However, some places in the United States are also making it compulsory to wear a mask again. Philadelphia, where the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased by more than 50% recently, has decided to reintroduce the mandatory wearing of masks indoors. In addition to Philadelphia, Columbia University in New York and Georgetown University have decided to make it compulsory to wear a mask indoors again. 

Other countries are increasingly leaving the wearing of masks to individual autonomy. Earlier, in February, the UK changed the wearing of masks to voluntary in public transportation facilities such as subways and buses. France and Germany also abolished the mandatory wearing of masks in public facilities from the 14th and 20th of last month. And Italy also lifted the mandatory rules in the same month.

As such, countries around the world are lifting the mandatory wearing of masks, but there are many people who want to wear masks in the future. If no one is wearing a mask, there is a growing question about how effective it will be to prevent infection if you use a mask alone.

According to the New York Times (NYT) report, in fact, many studies have shown that the mask's infection-preventing effect is best when everyone wears it, but even wearing a mask alone is effective. A study published in December last year found that people sitting in the same row or one row away from someone with COVID-19 had a higher risk of infection, even on an airplane, in one of the best ventilated areas, but wearing a mask reduced this risk by 54%.

In real life, there are many cases where masks have been effective in preventing infection. At the time of the cluster infection in a hotel in Switzerland in 2020, many employees and guests wearing cloth face coverings were infected with Corona 19, but those wearing masks were not.

The effectiveness of preventing infection also depends on the quality of the mask and how well it is worn. In addition, the time of exposure to an infected person and whether the space is ventilated also affect the risk of infection.

Health experts recommend wearing a high-quality mask such as N95, KN95, or KF94 to prevent the stealth omicron (BA.2) mutation, which is much more contagious than other mutations, the NYT said.

[Image by Yonhap News Agency]

The Public / Daniel Park webmaster@thepublic.kr 

더퍼블릭 / Daniel Park webmaster@thepublic.kr

저작권자 © 더퍼블릭 무단전재 및 재배포 금지
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