Virus epidemic where restaurants were reopened or where masks were not obligatory

Even as Texas and Mississippi officials have lifted state-wide mask obligationsResearchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday provided fresh evidence of the importance of facial coverings and reported that they were obliged to wear a mask. Associated with reduced coronavirus infection and death from Covid-19 In counties across the United States.

Federal researchers also found that in counties that open restaurants for on-premises meals indoors or outdoors, daily infections increased after about 6 weeks and Covid-19 mortality rates increased after about 2 months. I found that it increased.

This study does not prove the cause and effect, but the findings are Other studies showing that masks prevent infection The indoor space then promotes the spread of the virus through aerosols, small breathing particles that remain in the air.

“Wearing a mask reduces the number of cases and deaths, and eating directly at a restaurant increases the number of cases and deaths,” said Dr. Rochelle P. Warrensky, director of the CDC, on Friday. “So we will certainly advocate a policy that will listen to its public health science while we are on the plateau of this large number of cases.”

The findings come as city and state officials across the country are working on increasing pressure to reopen schools and businesses as the rate of new cases and deaths declines.Authorities recently Allow limited indoor dining To New York City..On Thursday, the Governor of Connecticut said the state End capacity limit Later this month at restaurants, gyms and offices. Masks are still required for both locales.

“This study is not surprising,” said Joseph Allen, an associate professor at Harvard University’s TH Chan School of Public Health and director of the university’s Healthy Building Program. “What’s amazing is that we’re seeing some states ignore all the evidence and release immediately, remove the obligation to mask, and release a complete diet.”

Other researchers have found that new studies show that virus transmission often occurs in the air, that the physical distance may not be sufficient to stop the spread in some settings, and that the mask is at least partially in the air. He said he confirmed the idea of ​​blocking particles in the virus.

President Biden’s health adviser has recently said it’s not time to relax. As of Thursday, the 7-day average for new cases was still 62,924 per day, according to a database maintained by The. New York Times..

That number has dropped 14% from two weeks ago, but new cases remain near the peak reported last summer. The number of deaths is starting to decline, Partly because of the vaccination campaign at the nursing home, It remains routine for 2,000 dead It will be reported in one day.

Wednesday Biden Criticized the decision The Governor of Texas and the Governor of Mississippi lifted the state-wide mask obligation, resumed operations without restrictions, and called the plan a “major mistake” that reflected the “Neanderthal mindset.”

The president, who asked Americans to wear masks for the first 100 days after taking office, said it was important for civil servants to follow the guidance of doctors and public health leaders as the coronavirus vaccination campaign gained momentum. It was.As of Thursday, about 54 million people received At least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

“In the face of all this progress, it may seem tempting to rush to get back to normal as if the virus were in the rear-view mirror.” Andy SlavitThe White House adviser on the pandemic said on Friday. “It’s not.”

Between March 1st and December 31st last year, CDC researchers investigated the association between mask obligations, eating in indoor and outdoor restaurants, and coronavirus infection and death. And death.

Authorities found that infections and deaths had decreased after the county mandated the use of masks. Approximately six weeks after the county allowed the county to open a restaurant for on-site meals, daily infections increased and mortality continued two months later.

The authors of the report concluded that masking obligations were associated with a statistically significant reduction in coronavirus cases and mortality within 20 days of implementation. On-premises meals in indoor or outdoor restaurants were associated with increased case numbers and mortality 41-80 days after resumption.

“State mask obligations and bans on-premises meals in restaurants help limit potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and reduce Covid-19 community infections,” the author writes. I am.

Immediately after publishing the report, the CDC revised the report and urged facilities to resume serving meals to follow agency guidelines for reducing infections in restaurants.

“The message is that when a restaurant opens to eat on-premises, it’s important to follow the CDC guidelines to do it safely and effectively,” said the corresponding author of the study, a scientist on the CDC’s Covid-enabled team. One Gery P. Guy said. ..

This includes “being at home when staff show signs of Covid, test positive, or contact someone with Covid, employees or customers who are not actively eating or drinking. It includes everything, such as requesting a mask for you, “says Dr. Guy. Said.

Other procedures include proper ventilation, outdoor dining options, customer 6-foot intervals, frequent hand washing encouragement, and disinfection of frequently touched surfaces such as cashiers and payment terminals, door handles, and tables. I will.

However, even with limited restaurant capacity, poor ventilation can lead to the accumulation of aerosolized viruses, Dr. Allen said.

“It doesn’t really matter if it’s a restaurant, spin class, gym, choir practice. If you’re indoors with no masks, little ventilation, or no choirs, you’ll find that the risk is high.” He said. “Breathing aerosols accumulate indoors. It’s very easy. This is a big problem for restaurants.”

Lindsey Marr, an aerosol transmission expert at Virginia Tech, can’t expect Americans to follow all the latest science, and so many are open or closed as indicators of what’s safe. He said he was relying only on him.

But eating indoors is especially dangerous, she added. People usually sit in restaurants for more than an hour and don’t wear masks while eating, making them susceptible to aerial viruses.

“Limiting capacity helps reduce the risk of infection, but eating indoors is still a risky activity until more people are vaccinated,” she said.

Restaurant workers are especially exposed. They can wear masks, but diners do not, which reduces protection against viruses. And workers spend hours inside each shift, Dr. Allen said.

He double-masks restaurant workers by wearing surgical masks covered with cloth masks, or purchases high-efficiency masks such as N95, KN95, or KF94 masks, which are usually reserved for healthcare professionals. Recommended to do. Take steps to ensure that they are not counterfeited..

“Now isn’t the time to relax and regain control when it’s very close to immunizing many people,” Dr. Allen said.

Irene Sullivan contributed to the report.