The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released some new guidelines on mask-wearing Thursday. In the new guidelines, the agency has stated that mask-wearing and social distancing are no longer necessary for people who have been fully vaccinated. This new move was influenced by scientific evidence pointing to the vaccines being effective in preventing transmission and infection of the virus.
However, despite the CDC loosening restrictions on mask-wearing to vaccinated people, some people who have received their shots are still not ready to remove their masks. Here are several reasons why this is the case.
Anxiety about Going Maskless
When the CDC issued out these new guidelines, many people were caught off guard by the news. Mask wearing no longer being a requirement for vaccinated people has developed a huge level of anxiety amongst them.
Over the year, face masks have become like a safety net for most people. They may feel like these new relaxed guidelines are too sudden because there are still a nice amount of unvaccinated people. They may feel it is still a little too soon to go back to normal, mask-free living.
Vaccinated people who are nervous or anxious about doing away with their masks in public must go easy on themselves. While it’s good to trust the information coming from the CDC, if you’re vaccinated and still don’t feel comfortable removing your mask, keep that mask on your face in public until further notice.
Anxious about Information regarding Virus Variants
Some vaccinated people are also leery about the new virus variants that are still out there. Because of this, they feel it is too risky to do away with those masks just yet. If you have these same feelings, it may be good to still keep that mask handy. However, experts also mention that it’s important to not get yourself phobic about not taking it off.
Dr. Thomas Russo, professor and chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York, recommends taking small steps by removing it when just going outside. “We know it’s much safer in an outdoor setting,” he says. “That will be a baby step to get your sea legs under you, in terms of the new world that we’re going to be living in.”
Some Just Feel Masks are an Illness Protection
Even so, many have found face masks to be overall illness protection. They have also seen their seasonal allergy symptoms lessened since wearing masks. Some have experienced dealing with COVID-19 and may feel taking off their masks even after vaccination will make them feel vulnerable. This is known as post-coronavirus trauma and it has become common. A survey of nearly 400 COVID-19 patients by doctors in an Italian hospital has shown 30 percent of them have developed post-traumatic stress disorder after an illness. If you are dealing with this sort of trauma, then keep wearing your mask for protection.
Whether they’re vaccinated or planning to get vaccinated, it’s still going to be an uphill battle for some people to do away with those masks. However, what about you? If you have been vaccinated or planning to get vaccinated, are you putting your trust in the CDC’s new guidelines in removing your mask? Or are you planning on keeping it on?
Feel free to express your opinion on this topic in the comments below. Of course, as always like or share this post with someone you love.
