So a lot of questions have been asked about the CDC recent guidelines where they came up with the fact that once you're vaccinated, you don't have to wear masks outdoor. There are some limitations that are sort of loosened for even indoor gatherings for vaccinated individuals. But I want to remind my immunocompromised patients that these guidelines may be true for all the general population who have a robust immune system. I still want to encourage caution, especially in terms of face masks outside or potential exposure, because I do not know what is a true immune protection for immunocompromised individuals. Do I feel comfortable them meeting with their family members who are fully vaccinated without the mask? Yes. But how comfortable do I feel with them mingling with other non-household, non-family members who are vaccinated? I think I would still, I'm caution, I'm saying caution, still keep the distance, still wear the mask, still do the hand hygiene. What is the future of masks in our community? I am an infectious disease doctor, so I'm going to be very biased in what I say here. The truth is that the fact that I didn't see influenza at all in my patients, I didn't see RSV at all in my patients, and many of my immunocompromised patients do wear masks, I still would encourage them in certain seasons to wear a mask. Do I see the mask go away for general population? I think I do see that coming. But I am very protective of my immunocompromised patients, so I still encourage them to be careful. Would I wear a mask in the future in certain gatherings? I think I might. I think I might. I haven't figured that out yet, but I think there would be, for general population be a time there would be no masks. But I like masks.
HealthTree • June 17, 2021