America Unmasks, When Will We Follow?

It was clear that there was a smile on the lips when explaining US President Joe Biden ‘s decision on Thursday night (Belgian time) that vaccinated comrades do not need mouth masks. “A great milestone,” he called from the garden of the White House under a radiant sun.

Every leader is happy to announce the relaxation of the oral mask duty, a symbol of the global fight against the epidemic. Saying that hats can be put back in the drawer (in some places) is another step closer to a normal life. Not surprisingly, 78-year-old Biden and his wife, Kamala Harris, withdrew from the preaching work. Both without a mouth mask because they are fully vaccinated.

In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the government agency that brought the good news. “Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in small or large activities indoors and outdoors without wearing a mouth mask or keeping physical distance,” Director Rochelle Valensky said a few hours before Biden’s speech.

The service recommends that vaccinated people wear a face mask regularly on air, bus, train or other transportation and at stations and airports. About 35 percent of the U.S. population is now vaccinated.

Encouragement

How is that in our country? The Advisory Council, which unites all the governments of our country, may have announced a drastic relaxation this week, but the oral mask duty is currently in effect. So the vaccination campaign in our country has made very little progress: 13 percent of all adults are now fully vaccinated.

Virologist Mark von Ronst (KU Leven) says: “We can’t buy something like this right now. “Although you have to take a number of things into account in a comparison. The CDC announcements were actually already in effect in some US states like Texas.”

Van Ronst also points out that this decision may be primarily an incentive to encourage Americans to get vaccinated. “There are a lot of states in the United States, especially in the Republican-majority states, where the chances of people being vaccinated are very low. We don’t need it. The preference for vaccination is very high in our country.”

“The future without masks is no doubt in its path,” says Van Ronst. “It simply came to our notice then. Although there will always be a need for agreements on whether we will continue to use masks. For example in badly ventilated places like bus. ”