Pa.What you need to know when Maskman dating is lifted

In light of rising covid-19 vaccination rates, Pennsylvania will no longer require masks to be worn in public from today.

Companies may still require masks, and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines require the use of masks on public transport, airports, shelters, prisons, and hospitals.

Dr. Graham Snyder, Medical Director of UPMC’s Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology, answered a question from Trib LIVE regarding the removal of mask mandates.

Why is the mandate canceled now?

Well, we are now in a good stage of a pandemic. Vaccination has had an external impact on the amount of virus circulating in our community, and we have certainly seen the amount of virus reduced to much lower levels than we experienced in winter. ..

So, especially our public health colleagues, we have determined that the benefits of relaxing restrictions on society are generally more important than the risk of increased infection if some of these mask obligations are removed. It’s time to do it.

Who would you recommend wearing a mask, even though you don’t have to wear one?

If you are young, healthy and fully vaccinated, you may opt to rely solely on the preventive vaccine layer as it is very good and very unlikely to cause serious complications. .. However, if you are a person with a serious medical condition, and if it involves a weakened immune system, weakening the immune system for some reason, the vaccine’s protective layer may not be as strong as a healthy person. Hmm. There is increasing evidence that it may not protect you completely. It certainly offers its benefits, but it may not be a complete layer of protection.

Therefore, if your immune system is weakened, you should consider wearing a mask when you are near other people.

Some young and healthy people wear masks. For example, you may want to protect yourself from contagiousness, even if you have people in your household who are susceptible to covid-19 complications, or if you are unlikely to get sick or extremely ill. People in the household. Therefore, the vaccine layer protects you from illness and serious illness, so you can choose to wear a mask to protect yourself from exposure when you are in public near others, but use it. You can also prevent the virus from infecting anyone vulnerable in your home because that mask prevents you from being exposed to you.

So there are certainly situations where even vaccinated people want to wear a mask. And, of course, even unvaccinated, they are susceptible to viruses and potential complications and have proven to be serious by pandemics.

Therefore, the CDC still provides guidance that if you are not vaccinated, there are many situations in which you need to mask yourself and others to protect yourself from the virus.

Is there a setting that everyone needs to wear a mask?

Each person’s situation was different, and from a public health perspective, we withdrew some of these protections, moving from “everyone needs masking” to “depending on the situation.”

Therefore, from a public health perspective, we asked individuals to make personal decisions about their situation. I think the factor that each person should consider is whether or not they are vaccinated. Are you vulnerable to illness complications due to your medical condition or immune system? Is there anyone near you who is vulnerable to complications? And how likely are you to be exposed? And does it relate to how close people are? How many people are there? Are they vaccinated? Are they masked or unmasked? What are the activities being carried out? Is it indoors or outdoors? What is the air circulation like?

All of these factors affect or correct the likelihood that the virus will expose someone. It also affects the likelihood that someone exposed will have serious complications or infect someone else.

Do unvaccinated people need to wear a mask?

Yes, unvaccinated people still need to be masked. It’s okay to remove the mask, especially when you’re at home or with your family. But outside the home, wearing a mask to protect yourself from the virus is still wise from a medical and public health standpoint. Especially if you are vulnerable to illness complications. Vaccination is a good preventative measure against complications of the disease, but without it, people are still vulnerable to complications, even if the disease becomes less common.

Can removing mandates cause another outbreak in unvaccinated people?

It is important to emphasize that removing mandates does not mean that people are required not to wear masks. People may still choose to wear masks, and everyone in our community is unvaccinated and vaccinated to protect themselves and their loved ones. Hope you still understand that you might choose a mask. So, as the current pandemic is declining, removing Maskmandate is a way to help us feel more normal.

However, it should be remembered that the virus is still in circulation. And even if vaccinated, some people are still vulnerable to complications.

Do you think you can mark the end of the pandemic by removing the mask requirement?

Now, in order to understand when the pandemic will end, we must look at the global situation. Because many infections can work in regions of the United States where the prevalence of the infection is low, it remains a threat if it is still widespread worldwide. And that also applies to covid-19.

It’s a good time to emphasize that things are getting better in the United States. Mostly because of strong vaccination efforts, many have chosen to be vaccinated. The more people are vaccinated, the safer we are as a community.

What should people keep in mind when traveling abroad?

As is true throughout the pandemic, the amount of virus circulating and how widespread it is in the region has fluctuated. In some parts of the world, the levels of circulating viruses are very low, and in some parts of the world, outbreaks occur in large numbers. Therefore, if you are considering traveling, it is important to understand what is happening in the area you are traveling to.

Of course, it is important to follow the local regulations that are in force. They can be different from what is here in the United States and can be different. If you choose to travel, we recommend that you get vaccinated.

What do you think people should do with all the masks they have accumulated in the pandemic?

I don’t think the pandemic is over, so I grab them. And even with strong vaccination efforts, it will not be done with protective masking.

For example, in a health care setting, masking is still needed. And no hospital has stopped using universal masking in the area of ​​patient care. Because … even if vaccination is successful between health care workers and patients, it still represents an unacceptably high risk of infection. Viruses and vulnerable people are exposed.

Jaxon White is a tribute review intern from the Pittsburgh Media Partnership.