Saturday, Jul. 31, 2021
Was the CDC’s latest change in masking guidance based solely on a faulty study from India?
The latest adjustment in Centers for Disease Control advice about masking was based on “new science” about the delta variant of the coronavirus, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a TV interview. An updated CDC document cites research from the U.S. and Israel into “breakthrough” delta infections of fully vaccinated people, as well as a study from India of patients protected by a vaccine not being used in the U.S.
“These early data suggest that breakthrough delta infections are transmissible,” the CDC says. The infections don't necessarily lead to higher risk of serious disease for the vaccinated, but the variant may be more readily transmissible to unvaccinated or immunosuppressed people they may encounter. That concern led the agency to advise that vaccinated people in areas experiencing generally high rates of infections should wear masks indoors.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- ABC News CDC director addresses changing mask guidance
- Centers for Disease Control Science Brief: COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination
- Centers for Disease Control Interim public health recommendations for fully vaccinated people
- Centers for Disease Control SARS-CoV-2 variant classifications and definitions
- Stat CDC recommends masks indoors for some vaccinated against Covid-19
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