The pace of COVID-19 vaccinations is increasing across California, a promising turning point in the pandemic that nevertheless raises a new question: what care do immunized people need to take?
Vaccines, while safe and effective, are currently not a license to completely abandon all infection prevention protocols, health officials say.
Basic steps like wearing masks in public and keeping physical distance from people outside your home will still provide an additional layer of security, experts say, and will help to further reduce COVID-19 transmission – allowing more sectors of the economy to reopen.
Here are some tips for those who have recently been vaccinated or are about to get their place in line:
Do I still need to wear a mask even after I have been vaccinated?
yea. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that continued adherence to public health measures, such as the use of facial coverings, observing physical distance, regular hand washing and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated areas, is still recommended, even for those received the two necessary doses of vaccine.
“It is important that everyone continues to use all the tools available to help stop this pandemic as we learn more about how the COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world conditions,” says the CDC guidance, especially as it is definitely not yet known “if get a COVID-19 vaccine will prevent you from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to others, even if you are not sick. “
The use of a universal mask, in particular, is considered critical to keep the spread of coronavirus on a downward trend. A recent CDC report found that states that imposed mask orders have seen declines in the growth of hospitalizations associated with COVID-19.
How do I use my mask correctly?
The key, federal scientists said in a report launched this month, is to make the masks fit better.
Wearing a loose medical procedure mask or just a cloth mask blocked only about 40% of the particles from a simulated cough in tests. But tighter masks have the potential to reduce exposure to potentially infectious particles by more than 90%, said the CDC.
“Wearing any type of mask performs significantly better than not wearing a mask. And tightly fitting masks provided the best performance, ”said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC.
How about double masks?
One way to improve masking is to first put on a paper mask – like a blue surgical mask – and then put on a tight tissue mask over it, said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer.
The second mask covers the large gaps that can occur with a paper mask, allowing air to leak through the sides.
Another option is to use a fabric mask that has multiple layers of fabric, according to the CDC.
What are some other mask tips?
- Using a nasal thread – a metal strip on top of a mask that can be shaped to fit the bridge of the nose – can help prevent air from leaking from the top.
- Try to make sure that air does not flow from the area near the eyes or the sides of the mask. “If the mask fits well, you will feel warm air passing through the front of the mask and you will be able to see the mask material moving in and out with each breath,” says the CDC.
- Tying the straps to the edge of the mask and folding and placing excess mask material under the edges can help improve the fit. Look this video instruction.
- Use only one KN95 mask at a time. CDC officials say that KN95s, like traditional N95s, should be used on their own. Adding extra masks underneath or on top of them “not only can affect how well they adjust to the face and decrease their effectiveness, but it can increase the effort required to breathe through them,” said the CDC in an email to The Times. The CDC suggests not wearing N95 masks, saying that they “must be reserved for health professionals and other medical first responders to avoid a shortage of supplies ”.