CDC to loosen coronavirus mask guidelines as soon as Friday

[brooklynite]

Source: Washington Post

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will soon loosen its mask guidelines by weighing metrics such as hospital capacity and coronavirus admissions, rather than simply looking at case counts, so more people can feel comfortable going maskless in indoor public spaces, according to two senior administration officials and two people familiar with the plans.

The change comes weeks after numerous states, including those led by Democratic governors, announced plans to lift mandates as omicron cases drop sharply. But states have long been pressing the agency for better guidelines to inform their decisions to ease restrictions, the officials said.

The CDC could announce the new guidelines as soon as Friday, according to the Associated Press. A CDC spokeswoman declined to say when the CDC would announce its updated guidance.

Under existing CDC guidelines, more than 96 percent of counties are still considered substantial or high transmission for the coronavirus, meaning the agency recommends masking in most indoor settings.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/02/24/cdc-covid-mask-guidance/

[George II]

1. I'll be wearing a mask through most of the spring, if not longer.

[barbtries]

2. I'll be wearing a mask for the rest of my life.

I'm old, obese, etc. Clearly this virus is here to stay. It's one of my fondest wishes to die some other way.

[SouthBayDem]

6. Nice unintentional poem nt

[lagomorph777]

3. I can hardly wait...

...for the next wave of COVID to wash over us. Each wave is more deadly than the last. Genius.

[GB_RN]

4. This Is Stupid...

But politically? I get it: Most people are sick of masks and we’ve moved into the endemic phase of this thing, thanks to the GOPQ.

That being said, the Omicron sub-variant, BA.2 is making the rounds. It is 1.5x more transmissible than Omicron itself (which was already 4x more transmissible than Delta) and as deadly as Alpha and Delta. Revising mask guidelines when this thing takes off is asking for even bigger problems.

[Ace Rothstein]

7. Real world data outside of the UK and SA says BA.2 is no more lethal than BA.1.

It is also suggested that BA.1 provides strong immunity to BA.2.

[JT45242]

5. Politics rather than science for this bureau at this point...

Of course the unvaccinated have not been masking anyway ...but I will definitely keep wearing masks whenever I am indoors with anyone whose vax status I do not know or trust.

Masks in stores or when picking up carry out food will be standard for a long time.

The real problem is that this gives no reason for more people to get vaccinated.

The stupid have worn us down.

The whole thing reminds me of the old adage : Don't argue with a fool. You will never change his mind and only make yourself angry.

The CDC is just throwing in the towel ...again.

[Ace Rothstein]

8. Hopefully they drop the useless testing rule when traveling home from abroad.

There is no reason for this to be in place. It hasn't done a thing to stop the spread of COVID.