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Jul 08, 2023

Will COVID Mask Mandates Return Amid New Variants? Experts Explain

Women's Health may earn commission from the links on this page, but we only feature products we believe in. Why Trust Us? No, the CDC has not released a new mandate. Last week, new COVID variants

Women's Health may earn commission from the links on this page, but we only feature products we believe in. Why Trust Us?

No, the CDC has not released a new mandate.

Last week, new COVID variants entered the chat.

Eris, or EG.5, is currently the most prominent strain in the United States, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention. Another variant, BA.2.86, nicknamed Pirola, is piquing the interest of experts for being a highly differential strain of COVID.

Experts say that Eris is very similar to the Omicron variant. As you may recall, Omicron was much more contagious than any previous COVID variant. However, BA.2.86 is not similar to Omicron—which might be a cause for concern.

Omicron's makeup was more infectious due to its change of the spike protein of the original SARS-CoV-2 strain. This allowed it to bypass antibodies better than previous COVID variants, according to Yale Medicine. Other variants that have emerged since Omicron (like Eris) have not changed the virus's spike protein.

However, BA.2.86 does have a differentiating spike protein, which earns it "notable" status from the CDC.

Meet The Expert: Dr. Peter Chin-Hong is a professor at the University of California San Francisco, and specializes in infectious diseases.

However, only three cases of this new strain have been reported in the United States so far, and there is still not enough information to determine how severe or transmissible the new BA.2.86 strain could be.

"We have had multiple instances in the past during the pandemic, where [there's a] scary Frankenstein variant that somebody found but it doesn't really spread," says Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor at the University of California San Francisco who specializes in infectious diseases. "We don't understand why one variant might go to the top of the charts [in terms of infection]."

With so much unknown about this new strain and rising COVID cases, you may be wondering if masking mandates may return.

Here's everything you need to know, according to an infectious disease expert.

Trends in hospitalization and death due to COVID are up 22 percent, according to the CDC. This replaces previous estimates from the organization, that claimed the stats would remain stable or have an uncertain trend, according to CBS News.

Although cases are rising faster than the CDC initially predicted, they are still significantly lower than previous pandemic peaks. Dr. Chin-Hong emphasizes that most people's immune system is much more equipped to handle COVID variants compared to March 2020.

"The population is just so much more experienced immunologically," he says. "[This variant] is coming at a very different time."

No, the CDC has not reinstated mask mandates.

Since 2022, masking mandates have phased out of the United States. Alex Jones, known for being a conspiracy theorist, claimed the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) would reinstate a mask mandate this fall, but the claim was quickly debunked by the Associated Press.

The CDC has not released any updated guidelines regarding mask mandates, but they do still list wearing masks as a preventative action you can take to protect yourself from a COVID infection.

Dr. Chin-Hong says that if the CDC were to reinstate mask mandates, it would likely only be in areas where there are people of high risk, and not at the level they were during previous pandemic peaks.

"It would be selective," he says. "Probably [only in] nursing homes, hospitals, and correctional facilities."

Experts recommend using masks in crowded settings, at your discretion.

Across the United States, schools and other businesses like Lionsgate, have willingly reinstated some pandemic protocols like mask mandates in response to an uptick in cases. In 2021, virologist Paul Duprex told 60 Minutes that reduction in COVID variants can be assisted from reducing the infection rates through masking and vaccination.

Dr. Chin-Hong recommends monitoring your own risk and acting accordingly. For example, he is carrying around a mask and only masking when it feels necessary—such as on public transit or a very crowded indoor setting. For those 65 or older or immunocompromised, he also recommends masking in those types of settings.

"I'm not living in fear, right, or changing plans, or not eating indoors or anything, but I'm just aware that it's easier to catch than not," he says.

As more general advice, Dr. Chin-Hong recommends monitoring your body more closely, as symptoms for COVID this far into the pandemic tend to be more mild, and making sure your updated on your vaccinations.

"For most of the population, [your level of masking] depends on how disruptive [getting COVID] will be on your life," Dr. Chin-Hong adds. "That's the sort of calculus for me."

Olivia Evans (she/her) is an editorial assistant at Women’s Health. Her work has previously appeared in The Cut and Teen Vogue. She loves covering topics where culture and wellness intersect. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, running, and watching rom-coms.

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