To prevent further spread of the
Delta coronavirus variant, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask
guidance on Tuesday to recommend that fully vaccinated people wear
masks indoors when in areas with "substantial" or "high"
transmission of Covid-19, which right now includes nearly two-thirds of all US
counties.
"In
recent days I have seen new scientific data from recent outbreak investigations
showing that the Delta variant behaves uniquely differently from past strains
of the virus that cause Covid-19," CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told a media
briefing on Tuesday.
"This
new science is worrisome and unfortunately warrants an update to our
recommendations," she said. "This is not a decision that we or CDC
has made lightly."
New
unpublished data -- showing that vaccinated people infected with the Delta
variant can have as much virus in their nose as people who are unvaccinated --
is the primary driver for the CDC's latest mask guidance change, a source
involved with the decision process told CNN. Overall, vaccinated people still
play a small role in transmission, and breakthrough infections remain rare.
The new
guidance also recommends fully vaccinated people to test 3-5 days after a
possible or known exposure, and to continue to wear a mask when in indoor
public settings for the next 14 days or until a negative test result.
In
addition, the new guidance also says that all people at a school, regardless of
vaccination status -- so staff, teachers, students and visitors -- should all
wear a mask.
It might not be the guidance that people were hoping to hear, but as I've said throughout this pandemic: We're in this together. Remember to be kind, mask up, and get vaccinated when you can.
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