Mask mandates are back—but not everywhere

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Mask mandates are back in some places. Are more coming? By Alice Park Senior Health Correspondent Lately, I’ve noticed that a lot of health systems—including Johns Hopkins, the University of Pennsylvania, and all of the public health hospitals in New York City—are once again making masks mandatory at their facilities. The throwback makes sense, since hospitals are where people who are most vulnerable to COVID-19 complications are likely to be. The change in hospital policies got me thinking: are more mandates to come? I spoke to a bunch of public health experts, and most agreed that it's unlikely. Why?  The public has a bad case of pandemic fatigue. Plus, thanks to a combination of vaccines and natural infections, most of us have more immunity to the virus than we did at the start of the pandemic. For now, we’re fortunate that the Omicron variants don’t seem to cause more serious disease. But in order to be prepared if that changes, or if a new virus emerges, health experts say we need to take a harder look at how we can protect ourselves better. Masks are a start, but the biggest payoff would come if updated COVID-19 vaccines—which only 20% of people in the U.S. currently have—became easier and more affordable to get. READ MORE Share This Story

WHAT ELSE TO READ Why the U.K. Is Banning Disposable Vapes By Simmone Shah The change is expected to go into effect by the end of this year or early 2025. Read More » 5 Steps to Take to Become a Morning Person By Angela Haupt Seeking out natural light, sticking to a consistent schedule, and easing in gradually can help. Read More » How to Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally By Markham Heid Changes focusing on what and how you eat, as well as your exercise habits, matter most. Read More » Is Ghee Healthy? Here's What the Science Says By Markham Heid Ghee typically retains more vitamins and nutrients thanks to its low-heat preparation. (Originally published in 2019.) Read More » These Factors Increase the Risk of Kidney Cancer By Markham Heid Hypertension, obesity, hereditary risk factors, and chemical exposures can all play a role. Read More »

ONE LAST READ Alzheimer's can spread via an outdated procedure New research reports a rare case in which five people with Alzheimer’s disease may have acquired it from treatments they had as children. These procedures, which involved receiving growth hormones derived from cadavers, are no longer practiced. That shouldn't stoke fears that Alzheimer’s is contagious under any normal circumstances. But it suggests that abnormal proteins associated with the disease could, rarely, be passed from one person to another during some procedures. Read More »

If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily,  click here. Today's newsletter was written by Alice Park and edited by Mandy Oaklander.

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