Doctors today warned Americans to wear face masks and take other precautions at the polls today amid a “perfect storm” of illness.
Millions of people will head to polling stations today, where they will face long waits in narrow lines and touch pens and electronic screens used by many others.
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, said the flu and an unusual type of pneumonia increase the risk of getting sick.
He urged people to wear masks while in indoor lines and consider maintaining six feet of distance.
Dr. Tess Barton, a pediatric infectious disease expert in Texas, He also urged voters to clean voting screens and pens before casting their vote.
Dr Schaffner told DailyMail.com: “I hope everyone has already had their flu and Covid vaccines, and those aged 75 and over have had their RSV vaccines.”
‘But, beyond that, wear a mask, because the flu is starting and Covid is still spreading out there.
“This particularly refers to a group of people who are high risk, that is, those who are older and have underlying conditions such as lung and heart diseases.”
Pictured above is a woman wearing a face mask at a postal voting site in Phoenix, Arizona, during the 2020 presidential election.
CDC surveillance so far this year shows minimal flu and Covid activity, but suggests there has been an increase in “walking pneumonia” cases.
It comes after health officials began urging people to wear masks again as winter approaches.
Dr. Schaffner added: “I would start by wearing a mask when I’m waiting in line, especially inside. If the line snakes outside, you’re still very close to people, so I would also wear a mask.
‘I think it would also be good to do social distancing. I’ve seen at our local public library that people are very respectful and keep a little distance from each other, but certainly not six feet, so it’s not entirely successful.’
‘This is not just something I preach too. I voted by mail, but every time I go to the supermarket, since I have some gray hair and am in one of those higher risk groups, I wear a mask.’
Doctors say infected patients could spread the disease through sneezing and coughing that release droplets into the air.
They can also spread the disease by touching their nose or mouth and then touching a surface, such as a voting machine or pen.
Others may then collect or inhale these droplets while waiting in line to vote or at voting booths, risking infection.
Dr Barton said: “We all touch the same pens and touch screens when we vote.”
“If you’re going to be in line with a lot of people, some of them may be sick.”
The map above shows that at the end of September, the last week available, all states had “low” or “minimal” flu activity.
However, there has been an increase in “walking pneumonia” infections, particularly among children.
The flu season in the United States typically begins in October and peaks around December and February.
But data suggests that flu, Covid and RSV infections have not yet taken off, although there is an increase in “walking pneumonia”, mainly among young children.
All states had a “low” or “minimal” level of flu activity in the week to September 28, the latest available data shows.
Mask mandates became a staple in many Democratic states during the Covid pandemic as a way to stop the spread of the virus.
But studies have failed to show that they reduce infections or deaths.
A major review by the Cochrane Institute found they make “little or no difference” to someone’s risk of contracting Covid.
At the same time, some research suggests that Covid measures, such as wearing masks and social distancing, can put people, especially children, at higher risk of serious infections.
They say it deprives children of exposure to diseases at an early age, meaning their immune systems may not develop properly.
Walking pneumonia is a bacterial infection that can cause excessive cough, fever, and headache.
But it is also considered less severe than the main form of the disease, and patients are not sick enough to stop carrying out their daily tasks.