US health body reverses course, urges vaccinated Americans to wear masks indoors

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday issued guidelines urging even those who had received the COVID-19 vaccine to wear masks indoors. The new recommendations were in complete contrast of the CDC’s previous instructions. The health body said that the guidelines were being issued as new information about the delta variant of coronavirus had come to light.

In its guidelines, the CDC recommended masks for all those in schools – teachers, students, staff and visitors. The Delta variant of the COVID has been wreaking havoc across the globe. With the new variant and rate of vaccinations dropping the daily new cases in the US have jumped to over 57,000.

Also read: List of countries safeguarding themselves from COVID’s Delta variant

The Delta variant is more infectious than the other variants of COVID-19. A study conducted by CDC showed that the level of infection was ‘indistinguishable’ in vaccinated and unvaccinated people. In other variants of COVID, most of the infections were among unvaccinated people. Vaccinated people who contracted the disease had low levels of virus. But this was not the case with the Delta variant, shows the CDC study.

In its statement, the CDC said that vaccinated people now have the potential to spread the virus to others. The study was conducted using over 100 samples.

Also read: The difference between the Delta and Delta Plus variants of COVID-19

For much of the pandemic last year, the CDC advised Americans to wear masks outdoors if they were within 6 feet of one another.

In April, as cases fell and vaccination rates rose, the agency had eased its guidelines. The CDC had stated that Americans who had received all their doses of the vaccine, need not wear a mask outdoors unless they were at a large gathering.

Subsequently, the health body also said that those who were fully vaccinated need no longer wear a mask in indoor settings.