CDC recommends one-third of Americans mask up again
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — For months, Americans have enjoyed the freedom of a fabric-free face.
Now, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is changing its tune and urging one-third of the population to mask up once again.
News 8 spoke with Dr. Christopher Doehring, vice president of medical affairs at Franciscan Health, who explains who the recommendation applies to and why.
“For one thing, I think it’s still prudent for high risk people to be masking to protect themselves,” he said. “For most of the country — 90% of the counties in the United States — there’s very low spread of the virus right now, including most of Indiana. But, there are certain parts of the country like in the Northeast and in the upper Midwest, the New York area in particular, where that spread has increased and there are now renewed recommendations for routine masking.”
CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky addressed the issue in a tweet saying: “32% of the U.S. population is in a location with a medium or high COVID-19 community level. Communities should encourage the use of prevention strategies, including masking and increasing access to testing and treatment, based on community levels.”
Doehring echoes Walensky’s statement as the U.S. braces for another possible COVID wave.