The CDC's public transportation mask mandate was struck down by a federal judge in Florida.
Some public-health experts advise people to keep masking in crowded indoor areas, even if other people aren't around them. It isn't recommended for everyone in their area to wear a high-quality mask, even if they are at high risk for severe COVID-19.
Is wearing a mask really enough to protect you from getting the disease if no one else does?
Emily Sickbert-Bennett, director of infection prevention at UNC Medical Center, says one-way masking is better than nothing.
A mask is meant to be used in two different ways. If two people are wearing masks that trap some of the particles they exhale, there will likely be fewer germs floating around their shared air, and both people will have a lower chance of getting sick.
The burden of protection is on the other person's mask if one person is exposed to germs. While cloth and surgical masks provide some protection, they are not the best option for one-way masking due to the fact that N95s and KN95s are designed to filter out almost all particles.
A modeling study published in the journal PNAS in December 2021, estimated the likelihood of a masked person getting sick after talking with a person who has COVID-19. Someone wearing a surgical mask had up to a 90% chance of getting sick after half an hour, while someone in a respirator had a 20% chance after a full hour, according to the researchers. After an hour, the risk ofinfecting the sick person and their companion dropped to 0.4%.
Two-way masking is even better than wearing a high-quality mask because it offers more protection.
The CDC published a study in February. It found that people who said they wore a mask indoors were less likely to test positive for COVID-19 than people who said they wore a mask outdoors. People who wore surgical masks were less likely to test positive. The authors of the CDC's report concluded that masks help prevent people from wearing them, even though the data are self-reported.
The most protective masks on the market, like N95s, only work to their fullest extent when they fit properly. Without gaps that let in air, your respirator should create a tight seal on your face. If you want to test this, experts recommend cupping your hands near your face and breathing in and out. You shouldn't feel any air escaping if your mask fits well.
Be careful when buying a fake respirator, there are lots of them for sale. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health will approve the packaging for real N95s. The White House has a website where people can find free N95 masks, as well as guidance on how to find authentic respirators.
Sickbert-Bennett says you can make a surgical mask more effective if you don't want to wear a respirator but still want to wear a mask in public. Use the metal nose bar to help the mask conform to the shape of your face, and knot the ear loops for a tighter fit. If you want to create a point at the bridge of your nose that lets in air, you should use both hands to smooth the bar across either side of your nose. If you want to wear a cloth mask, make sure you have a surgical mask over it.
Having a well-fitting mask is the best thing you can do to protect yourself in public indoor settings, Sickbert-Bennett says. It's not perfect. If you are around someone with COVID-19, there are a lot of factors that can influence whether or not you get sick.
One-way masking isn't perfect, but it is an appropriate strategy now that it is highly effective.
Gandhi says that mask mandates have proven to be flawed. Some people wore masks that were improper or not at all, while others chose cloth masks. She argues that it's time to recognize the weaknesses, shift away from mandates, and encourage people to wear high-quality respirators.
The most vulnerable members of society may be at increased risk of infections now that masks are off. Older people and those who are immunocompromised can still be cautious about getting vaccine, even though kids under 5 can.
If the U.S. had better standards for measuring indoor air quality, she would be more comfortable with the end of mask mandates. She says that a mask for the whole room could act as a cleaner indoor air.
Even if others aren't wearing a high-quality mask, it's still a good idea to do so.
Jamie Ducharme can be reached at jamie.ducharme@time.com.
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