by Natalie Dundas
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, but simply reporting on the current events regarding New Jersey and COVID-19.
Throughout the entire pandemic, some people have pushed back against mandatory mask policies and their necessity. People on both sides of the debate were persistent: some preached that wearing masks was the only acceptable option, while others claimed that it limited their bodily rights. Now, starting on March 7th, New Jersey school districts can decide if they will continue to enforce the wearing of masks or make them optional.
During past surges of the Omicron variant across New Jersey, individual institutions mandated masks indoors, and general wearing of masks has been encouraged. However, daily new cases appear to be dropping toward levels prior to the Omicron variant surge. Although students are free to forego their mask, schools will not be able to ban mask usage, and must uphold an individual's right to wear one if they choose.
Currently, experts believe that the Omicron variant has already peaked. In New Jersey, the height of Omicron was around January 10th, 2022, with 33,459 thousand new positive cases per day. Today, February 24, there are only 1,459 new statewide cases. However, Monmouth Country is still considered to have high community transmission, as per the CDC.
So why unmask?
Mask Efficacy
Masks have been worn since the beginning of the pandemic. The fabric once felt foreign and itchy. Now, it is hard to imagine life without them. However, are masks as effective as they are claimed to be?
When used correctly, masks can be a good preventative measure against many infectious diseases. Masks hinder direct spread of bodily fluids from the nose or mouth, such as mucus, saliva, etc. and are thus effective against droplet transmission with proper use and social distancing. Masks have proven to be partially effective against hindering the spread of COVID-19 in controlled lab environments. Masks are partially effective in terms of aerosol transmission - virus particles in the air; the main mode of COVID-19 transmission. The reason being that masks are only partially effective, as side leakage out of the masks is inevitable. However, a proper mask will block the respiratory cloud (area that the virus particles spread to). Without this respiratory cloud, the transmission range of leaked particles is largely reduced. Masks are also believed to be effective in preventative terms due to their makeup. Although medical masks are more effective than cloth masks, studies have found that wearing a mask is better than wearing none at all. Despite proven mask effectiveness in monitored and controlled environments, these results do not always reflect the real world, as it is unlikely that anybody will be constantly wearing their mask for extended periods of time or be able to completely sanitize themselves and their surfaces.
Retrieved from How effective is a mask in preventing COVID‐19 infection?, Wang, 2/24/22.
However, as the populace grows tired of the idiosyncrasies of life with COVID-19, masks are not being worn with the same diligence as the beginning of the pandemic. . The casual mask under the nose, long water breaks, and school lunch periods are all examples. This ultimately makes masks less effective and is a likely factor in the lifting of the mandate.
With plummeting Omicron cases, New Jersey will lift the school mask mandate, effective March 7th. “Given the continued drop in new cases and hospitalizations, projections indicating a continued decline over the coming weeks, and the continued growth of vaccinations for our school-aged population, we believe that we can responsibly end the universal mask mandate," said Governor Phil Murphy at a recent briefing. The reduction of mask requirements (other than in high-risk areas) should be handled carefully, even while considering herd immunity and analyzing mask efficacy. Hopefully, the general populace will aim to quarantine if they are sick and take proper precautions to ensure that they do not put themselves or others at risk. It is important to remember that if one chooses to do so, they may still wear a mask. However, this is also an opportunity to bring back normality and return to pre-COVID intimacies. Stay safe, everyone!
Sources
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Anzidei, M., & North Jersey Media Group. (2022, February 7). As Murphy lifts school mask mandate, here's where masks are still required in New Jersey. NorthJersey.com. https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2022/02/07/new-jersey-mask-mandate-where-required-schools-lift/6690918001/
Coronavirus (COVID-19). (n.d.). Google News. https://news.google.com/covid19/map?hl=en-US&mid=%2Fm%2F0n5d1&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen
Covid updates: New York is lifting mask mandate, too. (2022, February 10). The New York Times - Breaking News, US News, World News and Videos. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/08/world/covid-test-vaccine-cases
COVID-19 cases, deaths, and trends in the US | CDC COVID data tracker. (2020, March 28). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view
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Estimated 73% of US now immune to omicron: Is that enough? (2022, February 17). AP NEWS. https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-science-health-united-states-3e7ab3f74080bac8480aa6de3e65ecce
How effective is a mask in preventing COVID‐19 infection? (n.d.). PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7883189/
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New Jersey, California among states moving to ease mask mandates as omicron ebbs. (2022, February 8). Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/new-jersey-delaware-end-school-mask-mandates-move-normalcy-2022-02-07/
Office of the governor | Transcript: February 16th, 2022 coronavirus briefing media. (n.d.). The Official Web Site for The State of New Jersey - FAQs. https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562022/20220216c.shtml
Quinn, L., & North Jersey Media Group. (2022, February 7). New Jersey school mask mandate to end soon: Here's what we know. NorthJersey.com. https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/education/2022/02/07/nj-end-mask-mandate-schools-what-know/6688191001/