Hi, I’m a long time reader and fan! I have a question about this statement, “The SARS-CoV-2 virus has become so endemic that it is nearly impossible to avoid exposure to it altogether, even when masking.” Is there new data to support this or this an observation? Anecdotally I know people who have avoided infection even when family members in their home were sick with confirmed Covid; they were able to avoid it by masking and running HEPA filters. I haven’t seen data to support that endemicity causes masks to be ineffective but maybe I missed it. If you have more information on this can you share it? Thanks!
Frank, thank you so much for clarifying that. I’ve gotten flack for wearing my respirator as well. I think the layered approach, masks, vaccines, improved indoor air quality, etc. is going to be the only way forward for people who need to prevent infection. Eliminating the virus in the air through upgrades in ventilation and filtration will be another way to help, especially for those who no longer wear masks or vaccinate, and I’m focusing my efforts there. Thanks again!!
Great comment, Jenn. Perhaps I should have used the word "pervasive" instead of endemic because I am not a trained epidemiologist. There are many articles in scientific journals discussing how Covid-19 is transitioning from a pandemic disease to an endemic one, including this article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9246171/. The definition of "endemic", as I understand it, is that the disease is a constant presence and is generally predictable, instead of being out-of-control. That is the way in which I intended to use the term. So, to answer your question about masking, I firmly believe that masking can and does slow the spread of infection. I have been a strong advocate of masking since the very beginning and received quite a bit of abuse for my position. However, I do not believe that it is possible to stop the disease in its tracks by masking. The virus is simply too pervasive. Thank you for your comment.
Hi, I’m a long time reader and fan! I have a question about this statement, “The SARS-CoV-2 virus has become so endemic that it is nearly impossible to avoid exposure to it altogether, even when masking.” Is there new data to support this or this an observation? Anecdotally I know people who have avoided infection even when family members in their home were sick with confirmed Covid; they were able to avoid it by masking and running HEPA filters. I haven’t seen data to support that endemicity causes masks to be ineffective but maybe I missed it. If you have more information on this can you share it? Thanks!
By the way, here is what Mayo Clinic has to say about the continuing effectiveness of masking. I agree with the conclusions in this article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-mask/art-20485449
Frank, thank you so much for clarifying that. I’ve gotten flack for wearing my respirator as well. I think the layered approach, masks, vaccines, improved indoor air quality, etc. is going to be the only way forward for people who need to prevent infection. Eliminating the virus in the air through upgrades in ventilation and filtration will be another way to help, especially for those who no longer wear masks or vaccinate, and I’m focusing my efforts there. Thanks again!!
Great comment, Jenn. Perhaps I should have used the word "pervasive" instead of endemic because I am not a trained epidemiologist. There are many articles in scientific journals discussing how Covid-19 is transitioning from a pandemic disease to an endemic one, including this article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9246171/. The definition of "endemic", as I understand it, is that the disease is a constant presence and is generally predictable, instead of being out-of-control. That is the way in which I intended to use the term. So, to answer your question about masking, I firmly believe that masking can and does slow the spread of infection. I have been a strong advocate of masking since the very beginning and received quite a bit of abuse for my position. However, I do not believe that it is possible to stop the disease in its tracks by masking. The virus is simply too pervasive. Thank you for your comment.