Health Expert: Drop The Outdoor Mask Mandate

Also: Although a billion people have been vaccinated, global cases are rising. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  [View in Browser]( | [Donate [WBUR]]( [WBUR](  [WBUR]( April 26, 2021 Hello friends, The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, spring is here, and people are hoping "[shot girl summer]( is coming. In fact, it might have already started. Just walking around this past weekend, I saw more mask removing, cornhole tossing, within-six-feet fraternizing, barbecuing and lawn parties than I could count. Health experts are not ready to condone such flaunting of standard COVID-19 precautions, but there are reasons to be optimistic. We heard from the CDC last month that [fully vaccinated individuals can more safely resume certain pre-pandemic]( activities, and states are moving on a path toward reopening [things we haven't seen in what feels like a lifetime](. That said, the light at the end of the tunnel is still somewhat far away. Vaccine access remains a concern when it comes to certain vulnerable populations across urban and rural lines. Coronavirus variants are on the rise around the world and here in Massachusetts, and it looks they have some ability to evade the vaccine's protection. The [millions who have skipped their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna]( might be more at risk of getting sick from these variants than those who are fully vaccinated. Good news is that most here in Massachusetts are [getting their second shots.]( The rise of concerning variants will only continue. In my reporting, genomicists and epidemiologists have often warned that as the vaccine rollout crawls along, the coronavirus is getting more opportunities to evolve in ways that could counter our immune responses. This means it'll be hard to really relax and let our guard down, as much as we'd like to. The virus is still out there, and it's not on vacation. — Angus Chen, CommonHealth reporter newsletters@wbur.org Must Reads url[An Infectious Disease Expert Explains Why He Thinks It's Safe To Lift Outdoor Mask Mandates]( Hiking when there's nobody around is an invitation to take off your mask. If you quickly put it back on when someone appears down the trail – well, that probably makes no difference, says Dr. Paul Sax. It is polite though. [Read more](.   #%23%23[Twitter](  #%23%23[Facebook](    [Births Dipped After First Pandemic Surge In Mass., But Impact Is Uneven]( It's tough to plan a family in a pandemic, and the data show that. WBUR's Martha Bebinger reports on how births dropped after the first surge of coronavirus cases in Massachusetts. [Read more](.  [Health Insurance For $10 Or Less A Month? You May Qualify For New Discounts]( There's an ongoing special enrollment period for health insurance. Some people might be able to get free coverage during this period. [Read more](.  Support the news [Coronavirus FAQ: What Does It Mean If My Ears Ring Or Toes Hurt After A Vaccine?]( There are some typical side effects from the vaccines – and then there are some unexpected ones. But just because you notice something after getting the vaccine, it doesn't mean the vaccine caused it. [Read more](.  [Why India's COVID-19 Surge Could Collapse Its Health System]( India is going through a deadly surge in COVID-19 cases, and hundreds of thousands of new cases are identified each day. The U.S. can help with vaccines and other critical supplies. [Listen](. What We're Reading When the pandemic first started, I started every day by opening up the Johns Hopkins University global COVID-19 tracker and watching the virus spread around the world. Eventually, I stopped because there was so much COVID-19 in the U.S. that it was enough effort just keeping track of cases across Massachusetts. Things seem to be improving in the U.S. now, but getting worse globally. The New York Times reports that [global coronavirus cases are surging faster than they did last January]( despite the administration of a billion vaccines. The countries that are doing the best, like Israel and the United Kingdom, are the ones that have vaccinated the most people. The ones doing the worst, like India, have fewer vaccinated individuals and relaxed prevention measures early. It's a reminder that the way out of this pandemic is to vaccinate people as fast as possible – and the way to protect others is not to let your guard down. “ Right now, we're in this absurd situation where someone in Massachusetts could be walking outside with someone from their household, both of them wearing a mask, and then they enter a restaurant and dine indoors in a space that they don't know the ventilation of that space and with strangers who are also unmasked. — Dr. Paul Sax, "[An Infectious Disease Expert Explains Why He Thinks It's Safe To Lift Outdoor Mask Mandates]( ICYMI [With Rise In Variants, Mass. Scientists Warn Of Evolutionary Arms Race Between Virus And Vaccines]( One possible reason these variants are taking off in Massachusetts now is because people are moving around more.      Did you know bee hives are able to identify friends from foes by [their gut microbes]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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