America’s leading public health official is recommending Americans to wear a mask this flu season to stop the spread of illnesses such as COVID, the flu and RSV.
Mandy Cohen, M.D., MPH, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said in the video posted to her social media accounts that Americans could take precautions to protect themselves against respiratory illnesses heading into the holidays.
“To protect yourself and your family this holiday season, take the steps that we do every year to protect ourselves. Get your updated COVID and flu vaccines and your RSV vaccine if you’re over 60. It’s not too late to get vaccinated if you haven’t already,” she said.
I think acknowledging that wearing a mask prevents the spread of illness, and that wearing a mask in public is a sensible, low barrier way of contributing to society is a step in the right direction.
If people merely wore them in particularly crowded areas, or leading up to major holidays, or while possibly ill themselves, just that intermittent use would be an improvement.
I still carry a mask. I still wear mine on mass transit, etc. I’m more afraid of harming others than I am of appearing foolish to regressive, antisocial, toddlers.