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  • Masking up is one of the first things we did to slow the spread of COVID-19.

  • And it worked.

  • Study after study has shown that when we implemented and followed mask mandates, cases fell.

  • But now, those mandates are being lifted and guidance from public health experts is changing.

  • For many of us, it feels like we're headed towards a new phase in the pandemic, but it's not over.

  • Not yet.

  • So, as we weather the third year with COVID-19, what do we do with the mask?

  • Now, the ideal risk mitigation is to have everyone wearing masks.

  • But, of course, we're not going to wear masks all the time for the rest of our lives.

  • Moving forward, it will be left more to individuals, in most settings, to decide whether they feel like they're at higher risk or it's a higher-risk setting where they wanna wear a mask.

  • Fortunately, evidence shows that masks still offer protection even if you're the only person wearing one.

  • Especially N95 or KN95 types, which have proven to be exceptionally effective.

  • This applies even if you're vaccinated and boosted.

  • Layering your protection can reduce your chance of a breakthrough infection.

  • What I would hope is that people would view masks as a wonderful, inexpensive medical intervention.

  • So, when you're deciding whether or not to mask up, consider the weather.

  • Not the real weather; pandemic weather, which can rapidly change from week to week.

  • If it's looking bad, you might want to bring an umbrella, as in, wear a mask.

  • We're in an evolving situation; we have been since the beginning of 2020.

  • But there are some principles we can follow here.

  • Starting with assessing the case rates or hospitalizations around the community.

  • So, looking at cases per 100,000, you really want it to be at least under 10 per 100,000, ideally in single digits.

  • And not just for one day, but you could look at something like the 7- or 14-day average for an area.

  • Luckily, you can find that data on a variety of websites, including the CDC, New York Times, Johns Hopkins, or even simply by searching on Google.

  • These numbers will change depending on the location, and also, over time.

  • There's some evidence that COVID could eventually be seasonal like the flu, which means cases may drop in the spring or summer, only to spike again in the fall and winter.

  • Next, it's important to consider the environment.

  • Being outside is a really good start.

  • We're heading into spring, and I think there will be less tendency to be indoors in crowded spacespoorly ventilated spaces, for example.

  • So that also helps with reduction of transmission.

  • But if you're indoors, you should take a few things into consideration.

  • Ventilation and the number of people, the size of the space, and then the times that you spend in that spacethose are the main factors.

  • A packed, indoor concert, for example, is going to be higher risk than going to a grocery store where the people are more spaced out.

  • And events or locations that are checking vaccination status or requiring a negative test are an even lower risk.

  • But even then, you should consider one other factor: yourself.

  • That includes assessing your own risk of severe disease and hospitalization and, possibly, even death

  • And that has to do, of course, with your underlying medical conditionswhether or not you're immunosuppressed, or whether or not you've been vaccinated and boosted.

  • Even if you yourself are low-risk, you should also consider how dangerous an infection would be for people closest to you.

  • We've learned a lot since the beginning of the pandemic, and you've heard it a thousand times: We're all in this together.

  • Your actions and decisions will continue to affect those around you.

  • If you are in one of those lower-risk categories and don't have to wear a mask in all those settings, understand that if the risk rises again, you might need to.

  • We're not trying to stop every runny nose in the country.

  • We're really trying to prevent people from going to the hospital, and we're trying to prevent our healthcare system from falling apart.

  • In the meantime, be mindful and show some compassion for other people who may be masking up while you're not.

  • Because your cloudy day may be someone else's hurricane.

Masking up is one of the first things we did to slow the spread of COVID-19.

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