The CDC Updated Its Mask Guidance
If you’re confused by the latest recommendations, you’re not alone
On May 13, 2021 the CDC issued updated guidance on masks. For the most updated recommendations, please visit the CDC’s website
This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance on masks. The updated recommendations for when to wear a mask combine vaccination status and a color-coded schema to assign varying levels of risk — green being safest, yellow less safe, and red the least safe — to different activities.
The hot takes were mixed. Many were glad to see evidence-based recommendations that better outline what’s safe and what isn’t. Others found the update too confusing and cautious. In reality, it’s all those things. With a lot of virus still circulating and only 30% of Americans fully vaccinated, it isn’t easy to give blanket guidance.
Does the new CDC infographic leave you a little confused about how to assess your personal risk and whether you need a mask? Here’s a short summary of how to read the new recommendations.
1. It’s easy if you’re fully vaccinated. You can do a lot more — and do it safely.
If deciphering red versus green, indoor versus outdoor, or masked versus unmasked is confusing, just remember this: If you’re vaccinated, everything for you is now much, much safer.
For unvaccinated folks, the CDC recommends a mask for everything other than low-risk outdoor activities with your own household or others who are fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated and attending an outdoor picnic with multiple families? Unless everyone else is fully vaccinated, the CDC says you need a mask.
But for vaccinated people, it’s much more straightforward. Seeing vaccinated friends outside? Don’t need a mask. What if those friends aren’t vaccinated? Still don’t need a mask. In fact, the only time the CDC recommends a mask when you’re outside is if you’re in a crowd. Jumping in a mosh pit at an outdoor concert? Put on a mask, even if you’re…
