Coronavirus pandemic: Some good news re: mask wearing

The Coronavirus pandemic has been unlike anything most Americans could have possibly imagined. In addition to the morbidity and mortality it has caused, the recommended social distancing and mask wearing has changed societal functioning and has caused worsening mental health in many people.

Today the CDC announced recommendations for reductions in mask wearing. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the Director of the CDC said “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing. If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.’’

The new guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings such as buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters but could ease restrictions for reopening workplaces and schools. In addition, the agency will no longer recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks outdoors in crowds.

President Biden called it a “Great day for America”. Coronavirus cases in the U.S. are at their lowest rate since September and deaths are at their lowest point since April 2020, averaging about 600 a day.

Wayne Macfadden MD is Board Certified Psychiatrist with over 20 years of experience. Dr. Macfadden has worked in a variety of treatment, academic and research settings. He is a Fellow in the Philadelphia College of Physicians, and a former Fellow in the American College of Psychiatrists. Dr. Macfadden is also certified in Addiction Medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine and had Added Qualifications in Addiction Psychiatry. Dr. Wayne Macfadden has extensive clinical and research experience in the treatment of people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders.