Public well being specialists are turning states on trench masks

Other states that are canceling mask orders tend to be better, but on Wednesday CDC director Rochelle Walensky, MD said they were not out of the woods either.

“Please listen to me clearly: at this level of cases where variants spread, we will completely lose the hard-earned ground we have gained,” she said at a press conference. “These variants are a real threat to our employees and our progress. Now is not the time to loosen the critical safeguards that we know can stop the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, not when we are so close, “she said.

Governor Greg Abbott spoke Tuesday at a Mexican restaurant in Lubbock that the success of vaccines, coupled with falling case numbers and declining hospital stays, made it clear that government mandates are no longer needed.

“Removing government mandates doesn’t end personal responsibility,” he said. “Personal vigilance to maintain safety standards is still required.”

The problem with this attitude, researchers say, is that it’s not enough. The usefulness of masks depends on whether everyone is wearing them. Studies have shown that using masks makes a difference.

“The science is just overwhelming,” said Jeffrey Levi, PhD, professor of health policy and management at Georgetown University School of Public Health. “When mask mandates are imposed, infection rates drop, and when mask mandates are removed, infection rates rise. I mean, we’ve done enough natural experimentation in the last year to see what effect this has, ”Levi said.

“This is a tragic politicization of our response to the pandemic, and the consequences will not be confined to these states,” Levi said.

A study published by CDC scientists last month compared the growth rate of COVID cases in more than 3,000 US states between June and October last year. People with mask mandates were 43% less likely to have their infections increased rapidly than people without them.

“Mask mandates can play an essential role in preventing COVID-19 and could be especially important for those who need to work in person, including key workers and those who work in cramped conditions, especially in non-urban areas,” the authors write the study.