The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged people vaccinated to wear masks in public spaces and in areas where covid cases may be spiking on Tuesday, July 27.The CDC also recommends that K-12 students attend school in person, while still wearing masks in the classroom.What is the reason for this change by the CDC?This announcement follows rising infection rates with the delta variant of covid, which was first discovered in India earlier this month. Although it may appear like backtracking Rochelle Walensky is the director of the CDC and explained that decisions made by the agency are not taken lightly.Walensky stated that science will guide our guidance and provide recommendations. Every day, the delta variant shows its ability to outsmart us. It is also showing its willingness to take advantage of opportunities in areas that we have not provided a strong response.Although delta was only responsible for 2% of the cases in May sequenced in the US by Johns Hopkins, today 82% contain the more contagious variant.What does this mean for me?If you are a resident of the US, it is likely. The CDC says that 63% of the US has substantial transmission rates. This means that the new policy would be applicable there. You can check the CDCs Covid Data Tracker to see if you live in an area with high covid rates. It tracks infection by county.(Depending on where you live, this might not make a big difference if you aren't fully vaccinated. California, New York and Nevada are just some of the eight states that require unvaccinated persons to cover up.How does the delta variant spread?According to the CDC, this spread is being driven by unvaccinated people. Although cases of the disease are less severe, it is possible that vaccinated individuals are getting sicker and passing it on. A person with covid can infect an average of 2.5 people during the pandemic. The delta variant is more common, with six infections per person.
