CDC: 82% of Americans should wear masks indoors or consider doing something about it

The percentage is down slightly from last week, but the number of coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths remains high.

According to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 82 percent of Americans should wear a mask when indoors or considering the measure.

According to the CDC’s COVID-19 community level, nearly 45% of the population should wear masks indoors. Based on their risk of severe COVID-19, more than 37% of Americans should consider wearing a mask in public.
That’s a slight drop from last week, when levels suggested 85 percent of Americans should cover up or consider the measure.

Still, coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and deaths remain high as the BA.5 Omicron subvariant continues to dominate the variant scenario.

The CDC relaxed several COVID-19 guidelines this week, but did not change its mask recommendations, likely because nearly 94% of the country is considered “high” for COVID-19 transmission.

The agency ended its quarantine advisory for everyone, including students, on Thursday.

Instead, all Americans should wear a high-quality N95 masks within 10 days of exposure and get tested on the fifth day or earlier if they have symptoms.
The Food and Drug Administration this week also updated their recommendations for testing for COVID-19 at home to reduce false negatives. It recommends that those who have been exposed to the virus but have no symptoms use three rapid at-home tests, each 48 hours apart.

But until the epidemic is completely gone, the best thing to do is to get vaccinated and wear a good mask in public.