- CDC director recommended wearing a mask in a new interview
- The recommendation comes at a time when Americans are largely avoiding masks and vaccines.
- READ MORE: Up to four times as many Americans reject updated Covid vaccine
Health officials continue to recommend mask-wearing during the holidays, even as Covid cases continue to decline.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommended in an interview wearing a mask while traveling or meeting with loved ones, in addition to receiving the last Covid vaccine before the holidays.
The guidance comes as Covid cases continue to decline and up to four times as many Americans are avoiding the updated vaccines compared to last year.
Dr. Cohen, who led the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services before taking her place as CDC director in July, said she and her husband, as well as their 9- and 11-year-old daughters, received their Covid vaccine and flu shots.
She said: ‘I’m not just a director of the CDC. I am also a doctor and a mother. And I want to tell you what I do for my own family.’
Dr. Mandy Cohen recommended wearing masks this holiday season, even as Americans avoid masks and vaccines.
Dr. Cohen gave an interview to yahoo about recommendations to stay safe this holiday season. The site asked her to answer six frequently asked questions related to health and the holiday season, and she provided answers for each one.
When asked how to prevent illness while traveling and gathering with loved ones, Dr. Cohen’s answer included washing your hands, improving ventilation indoors by opening windows, and wearing a mask.
In response to a subsequent question about respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Dr. Cohen said, “I encourage (parents) to use the same practices we’ve always done, which is staying home when you’re sick, washing your hands, stay away from other people who may be sick and be sure to use tools to protect yourself, whether masks, ventilation or otherwise.’
The CDC did not respond to DailyMail.com’s repeated requests for clarification on its official recommendations.
On its website, the health agency currently recommends wearing a mask around other people for at least 10 days if you tested positive for Covid, and up to 10 days if you were exposed to someone who tested positive.
“Another thing you need to think about is your own personal risk,” Dr. Cohen said of wearing a mask while on vacation.
Hospitalizations continue to decline and are significantly lower than last year, CDC data shows
Dr. Cohen said, “I wouldn’t recommend anything to the American people that I wouldn’t recommend to my own family.”
“I hope people can listen to that and get to know me as a person to help them understand some of the information they’re hearing and understand why I recommend it for my family and I want them to be healthy, too.”
He added: ‘Another thing you need to think about is your own personal risk.
‘Are you over 65 years old? Do you have an underlying condition? Are you visiting someone over 65? Will you be meeting someone who is receiving cancer treatment?
“Those people are at the highest risk of something bad happening, so in those cases, you want to use as many tools as possible.”
After a surge earlier this summer, Covid cases have steadily declined since mid-September, CDC data reports.
As of October 28, the latest data available, there have been 15,745 hospitalizations. At this time last year, there were 23,311.
Now, Americans are feeling Covid fatigue: 52 percent say they will “definitely” or “probably” not get the latest Covid booster shots.
Pediatrician Dr Paul Offit previously told DailyMail.com that younger adults did not need the vaccine because they were already at low risk of serious illness.
