Happy Nice Mall

An internal presentation that circulated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month and was eventually obtained by news outlets offered clear recommendations for countering the contagious Delta variant: “Given the higher contagiousness and current vaccine coverage, universal masking is essential.”

But the advice issued by the agency was much more nuanced, advising Americans, whether vaccinated or not, to wear masks in closed public settings in areas with “significant” or “high” virus transmission.

At the time, this included at least 80 percent of Americans. As infection rates soar, some experts are now wondering: Would it make more sense to urge everyone to wear masks?

“Given the rising rates across the country, the clearer message will be ‘Wear masks in public indoors throughout the country,'” said David Michaels, professor of environmental and occupational health at the Milken Institute of Public Health. at George Washington University.

In addition to Americans at Covid-19 hotspots, CDC officials have recommended universal indoor masking for teachers, staff, students, and school visitors, wherever they are and regardless of their individual vaccination status.

The agency suggested that people “may choose to mask regardless of the level of transmission” if they or someone in their household is immunocompromised or immunocompromised. increased risk for severe disease — or a category that includes all unvaccinated children under the age of 12 who are ineligible for vaccination.

Also on the list: people who are overweight, smokers or disabled, and anyone who has had close contact with someone with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That’s a lot of Americans.

Vice President of Global Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. “The messages from the CDC were less than optimal,” said Ezekiel Emanuel. “We need to be clear and relatively simple about it.”

Masking recommendations from federal health officials are changing throughout the pandemic. In February 2020, Americans were asked not to buy the scarce masks. In April 2020, authorities recommended that masks be worn outside the home. In May of this year, the CDC said that vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks.

Agency officials did not respond to requests for comment on the most recently revised proposals. But the agency’s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the Delta variant changes the equation and was impressed by early data showing that vaccinated people can rarely spread the virus if they are affected.

Key evidence emerged from an outbreak that occurred over the weekend of July 4 in Provincetown, Mass. About a thousand people, most of whom were fully vaccinated, became infected.

But many Americans have no idea from week to week whether they live in a community where the virus is significantly or highly infected.

Definitions are not easy to grasp: Significant or high contagion means any community where there have been at least 50 new infections per 100,000 people in the previous seven days, or at least 8 percent of tests positive for infection during that time. (NS agency keeps a map.)

A simpler mask proposal probably wouldn’t have softened the way for commissioning in a state like Texas, where two state judges allowed officials in Bexar County, which includes Dallas County and San Antonio, this week, to begin imposing mask requirements despite an executive order ban. them Governor Greg Abbott.

In many communities, entitlements are gaining traction and nuances about transmission speeds and underlying conditions have already been set aside. It’s easy to see why: As of Tuesday, the virus was spreading rapidly in 90 percent of US states. And masking is quickly effective.

The masks are “actually great, because they work right away — they’re starting to reduce transmission today,” said Julia Raifman, assistant professor at Boston University’s School of Public Health. “Every case they prevent prevents a few other cases, so their effectiveness increases over time.”

Wearing a mask also helps protect children who are not yet vaccinated and other susceptible children, such as the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, who are unable to form a strong immune response after vaccination.

Masking also helps prevent the virus from circulating, making it less likely to mutate, possibly transforming into a more virulent form that can evade vaccines altogether.

“If you let the virus circulate freely and you don’t try to stop it, there is a possibility that sooner or later you will get another variant, I’m not saying it will, but it may be more problematic than Delta.” The country’s top infectious disease specialist, Dr. Anthony Fauci said it on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

The CDC noted that Black, Hispanic and Native Americans are at higher risk of Covid-19, but did not say anything more about minority communities adopting masking measures.

A pediatrician, Dr. Rhea Boyd said a universal masking proposal could help protect vulnerable populations, including communities of color, where vaccination rates have been delayed, in part because of distrust of the medical system and partly because of persistent problems in accessing healthcare. examines the relationship between structural racism and health.

Dr. “If you live in a neighborhood where a lot of people aren’t vaccinated, you’re very exposed to the virus,” Boyd said.

Still, some experts are sympathetic to the fine line the CDC must follow in making changing advice, especially on masking, which has become a cultural and political flashpoint.

Mask orders can threaten the livelihoods of restaurants, bars and other indoor catering establishments. In Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards temporarily reinstated a statewide closed mask mandate earlier this month amid an increase in cases. But he made an exception for “anyone who consumes drink or food.”

Infectious disease specialist at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Dr. By setting localized benchmarks, the agency’s mask recommendation “give everyone something to look forward to,” Carlos del Rio said. “At the end of the day, the CDC is a science body that responds to politicians.”

Still, he added, “You should wear a mask if you’re inside.”