By now we know it will take a long time – perhaps forever – for the entire world to have COVID vaccines. And, even if we have full vaccinations ourselves, we could still catch the infection and have a small chance of becoming gravely ill. This raises the prospect of wearing masks in low vaccination places for at least a while longer. We explore the prospect in this short post.
It’s Taking a While to Ramp Up Vaccinations
Few countries can claim exceptional progress in this regard. Israel proved rapid vaccination is feasible, and the United Kingdom is catching up fast. However, even the United States with all its resources is battling to reach the bench mark 70%. When The New York Times asked Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of NIAID if he would consider wearing a face mask in places with low vaccination rates, he said he might.
We guess this makes a deal of sense to us. Why if we were on a cruise ship with strangers not wearing masks, we probably would too. So why not do the same in our home town if necessary? Especially now we know the virus is the same virus everywhere we go, and its variants are becoming more intrusive.
Reasons Behind Wearing Masks in Low Vaccination Places
Dr. Fauci is fully vaccinated. Yet, despite this, he told NBC’s Meet the Press last Sunday he might ‘go the extra mile to be cautious enough’. To make sure he got the extra added level of protection. For example, ‘even though the vaccines themselves are highly effective’ he explained, ‘just 36 percent of Mississippi residents have had at least one shot of a coronavirus vaccine’.
Dr. Fauci raises a point that’s on the minds of many of us as we write. ‘We’re going to see, and I’ve said, almost two types of Americas,’ Dr. Fauci said Sunday. ‘Seeing as 99.2 percent of COVID-related deaths in June occurred among unvaccinated people,’ he mentioned. ‘It’s really sad and tragic that most of all of these are avoidable, and preventable.’
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If You Decide to Wear a Mask, Here’s How
Preview Image: Who Has the Vaccine?
