Maybe masks are a good idea, after all

Big jump in new cases sparks concerns for medically vulnerable people in California, other states; booster shots authorized for infants and toddlers.

A couple of newsworthy items and some answers to reader questions about masks in this extra edition. Do you have questions? Post your question in a comment. And please “like” and share this newsletter to support my work.

Hospitalizations surge after holiday gatherings

Wastewater and other surveillance indicates many communities are seeing a dramatic spike in new Covid cases. In Maryland, hospitalizations are up almost 50% since Nov. 18. In California, eight counties and 38% of the population are now in the high Covid risk category. Older adults remain the most vulnerable to hospitalization or death from Covid-19. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky urges older people to take extra precautions.

“Take your everyday preventive actions such as covering your coughs and sneezes, staying away from people who are sick and staying home if you yourself are sick, washing your hands and improving ventilation in your home and workplaces,” Walensky said.

“We also encourage you to wear a high-quality, well-fitting mask to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, most especially for those in the 5% of the population currently living in counties with high COVID-19 community level. CDC continues to recommend masking for anyone choosing to travel by plane, train, bus or other form of public transportation, or for anyone who may be immunocompromised or (at) increased risk of severe disease.”

If intensive care beds fill up, some areas may see masks required again. But health officials are counting on people to take voluntary steps so that the situation improves instead of worsens.

What this means: carry on, but use some caution

Precautions against Covid-19 also protect against other viruses that transmit easily during winter, when people gather indoors more. While treatments like Paxlovid reduce the risk of Covid-19 death significantly, everyone I know wants to avoid getting sick in the first place. Here’s my take:

• If you haven’t had a Covid-19 shot since September, get one ASAP. The new shots are much more effective than the original version.

• If you are medically vulnerable (such as having an underlying medical condition or are over 65,) consider wearing an N95 or KN95 mask when around other people. This applies both indoors and outdoors, if people are within a few feet for 15 minutes or more.

  • Doctors in China recently reported on a case in which they believe one jogger passed his Covid infection to 35 people in a park. While there are unanswered questions about these cases, we know that the omicron variant is much more transmissible than previous Covid strains.

• If you have any Covid-associated symptoms such as congestion, cough, scratchy throat, diarrhea or severe headache, stay home. Even if you don’t have Covid, you don’t want to share other viruses, do you?

• Before entering a home or other location to visit older relatives, use a Covid self-test right before going inside. Test kits are readily available from CVS, Walgreens, Costco, Target and many other locations, and your health insurance likely covers the full cost.

Choose the right masks

KN95 masks, which have earloops, provide good protection if properly fit.

This common mask type gives only limited protection.

If you are going to wear a mask (and you should if you are in close quarters with other people,) please choose one that is likely to protect against viral transmission. There are too many people wearing the wrong masks these days.

The blue “medical style” masks that were the main choice last year give you only about 50% protection, but an N95 or KN95 filter mask gives you nearly twice that protection. “Surgical,” “medical” and “non-medical” masks and cloth masks should be set aside as artifacts of earlier times, when better masks were in short supply.

You can find better masks in hardware and other big box stores. Look for N95 masks without a vent in the front. I find the 3M Aura mask to be quite comfortable, and they come in boxes with each mask individually wrapped. The price is down to about $1 per mask when you buy a box of 20. KN95 masks tend to be a bit more comfortable, because they have earloops instead of straps that go around the head.

Want a better mask? There are plenty of options. In fact, the federal agency that I am an advisor to has selected two masks as winners of its Mask Innovation Challenge. Both the Airgami Origami Mask and Readimask 365 are already available for purchase.

Not sure which masks to get? ProjectN95.org is a reliable website that offers a variety of KN95 and N95 masks and related products.

China is backing away from its super-strict Covid isolation rules

Unclear whether officials are admitting that the strict lockdown that kept Covid rates relatively low in China since 2020 no longer work, but Chinese officials have relaxed some of the rules. For example, people may be able to go to schools or other places without proof of a negative Covid test, and those who test positive may have isolation options other than a state-run “hotel.” There have been massive protests in China against the lockdowns in recent weeks.

Updated Covid-19 booster shots cleared for young children

The FDA Thursday authorized use of the new bivalent boosters for children as young as six months old.

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