Will we still wear masks after the COVID vaccine?

The woman in the mask looks in a shop window

Photo: Robert Petrovich (Shutterstock)

As much as we remember before the times-When we didn’t need to wear masks and could go to crowded places Travel and throw parties and attend concerts and dine at the same table as acquaintances and strangers – those times are not coming back anytime soon. No matter how good the news on vaccines, hang it on your mask.

We may eventually be able to get rid of them, but do not expect a pre-normal epidemic to return in the next year or two. Here’s why:

We do not know if the vaccine prevents transmission

So far, efficacy data suggest that Pfizer / Bioentech vaccines (the first COVID vaccine authorized for US use) and modern (likely to become second) are good at preventing people from getting sick.

But we do not know if the vaccine prevents you from getting infected by the virus, or if it prevents the infection from making you sick. It is likely that it does both, but we do not have enough information to say.

So if you get vaccinated, you may still be able to spread coronavirus to others. Even if you are one of those lucky people who have already received the vaccine, you should still wear a mask when other people are around.

Not everyone can get vaccinated

Right now, the supply is so limited that only a handful of people can get the vaccine. (its Being given first For health workers and residents of care facilities such as nursing homes; Other high-risk people will follow.)

But even at higher doses, not everyone will receive the vaccine. Some people might choose not to. Some people may have health-related reasons, such as not being allergic to the vaccine component.

And, significantly, the vaccine is authorized for children. The Pfizer vaccine is for people 16 and older, and the modern vaccine is for people 18 and older. No manufacturer has yet completed large-scale testing on children.

Therefore children and many teenagers will have to wear masks for a while. Even if the children are not very sick, they can spread the virus-Probably less often than adults, But research continues. Children make up over 20% of the US population, so until they are vaccinated, it will be impossible to reach hernia immunity.

In the meantime, when everyone does not get vaccinated, expect gatherings and travel with caution, The mask rules are still in place. It is unlikely that anyone will be ready or able to Check medical records In concerts or parties or family gatherings, therefore the need for distancing and masks will still be required in many contexts while we wait for COVID cases to occur.

Masks are really good

Before COVID, there was the stigma of wearing a face mask in public. If America would be able to adopt this trend, I was not sure at first. but Masks have been popular in Asia for years, And they are not just for epidemics.

Masks help you Avoid spreading your germs if you have a standard-issue Cold or flu, and that’s why they have long Used in Asia. Also they can work in other situations, such as keeping your nose warm when a scarf will just fall down.

So even if the vaccine rolls out quickly, and even If it becomes safe for everyone, And even if it proves Effective in preventing transmission, we will wear masks for COVID prevention, at least for a while. And after that, they will still work for the surroundings.


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