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When can I stop wearing a mask?
Hold on to the mask (maskile) for the near future. At this time, there are several unknowns, which make wearing a mask and social distance important to protect the wider community.
First, scientists do not know how to protect Covid-19 vaccines against asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 transmission (as explained above). There are promising signs – but research remains incomplete. Researchers also do not know how long Covid-19 vaccines can protect people from the virus.
Scientists will also closely monitor how evolutionary changes in the virus or its variants influence the effectiveness of vaccines. Researchers have already found that the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been reduced in South Africa, where variant B1351 is present.
However, the most important factor may be the extent to which eligible adults accept the vaccine. Children can spread the disease, but are not eligible for the vaccine; some people may be too immune-compromised to take it; and others may face bureaucratic barriers to vaccination.
What’s the point of getting the vaccine if I still have to wear a mask?
Think of wearing masks and social distancing as a continuum of risk mitigation strategies that are in place as scientists conduct research, more and more people are getting vaccinated, and the prevalence of Covid-19 is declining.
For example, as vaccines continue to be developed, small gatherings of vaccinated people will become more frequent. The same people need to be aware of social distancing and mass clothing in public, as it could spread the disease to the wider community.
The hope is that since more and more people are vaccinated, fewer people will have severe cases of Covid-19, and the pressure on the health system will decrease with the prevalence of the disease.
“We hope to be able to vaccinate the majority of the population,” said Dr. Bruce Y Lee, a professor of health policy at New York University’s School of Public Health. “Then we can start talking about moving to normal.”
When will we have these answers?
Studies on the extent to which vaccines protect against continuous transmission are promising but incomplete. Vaccines are unlikely to provide complete or “sterilizing” protection. Only a handful of vaccines can make this claim, including for example the smallpox vaccine. However, if a vaccine significantly reduces transmission, it would be very good news for the world’s ability to contain the virus.
Under normal circumstances, these types of questions could have been answered in clinical trials with vaccines for years. In this emergency, stopping the disease was a more important goal, and the available vaccines make this very effective.
“We would probably know as more and more people get vaccinated, somewhere near the middle of September,” August said.
However, it is important that vaccines do not have to provide complete protection to help fight the pandemic. “If everyone is vaccinated, then there are fewer viruses,” August said.
