Three Philly health experts share what you can do to stay safe as mask mandates end
How to protect yourself as mask mandates end.
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Three days after the federal mask mandate ended, Philadelphia ended its mandate too (for the second time this year). After all the confusion about where to wear masks, it’s up to you in most situations whether or not you mask up.
However, the end of the mask mandates doesn’t mean the risk of contracting COVID-19 is gone. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists Philly as having a low level of community transmission, the city’s seven-day average of new cases is 242.
As mask mandates end, it’s largely up to you to decide what precautions you want to take. Here are tips for staying healthy as mask mandates end, according to three Philadelphia doctors.
Jose Torradas, co-founder of Medicos Unidos Inc.
Jose Torradas says that “just because mandates change doesn’t mean that your risk has necessarily changed from one day to the other.” For him, it all comes down to being vigilant and protecting yourself and taking measures that keep others safe, too. Here’s what Torradas says to do.
Get vaccinated and stay up to date with your boosters.
Wear an N95 or surgical mask in places with high risk for infection like bars, indoor restaurants, clubs, and crowded buses.
Don’t wear a cloth mask. “I never go anywhere with just a cloth mask,” Torradas says. You should wear a cloth mask only if you don’t have anything else available. But since we are no longer at a point where supplies are low, getting a surgical mask or N95 mask that is well fitted to your face should not be hard.
Jason Freedman, pediatric oncologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Jason Freedman notes that children (newborns especially) don’t have robust immune systems, and, on top of that, children under five can’t be vaccinated yet. So, it is up to adults and their caregivers to keep them protected. Here’s where to start.
If appropriate, make sure children wear child-sized surgical masks.
If your kids have any symptoms, get them tested and don’t send them to school.
If they are over five, keep them up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.
If your child is under five or unvaccinated, be cautious of who you — and your children — come in contact with.
Freedman notes that if your child gets COVID-19, monitor them very closely for symptoms beyond a fever, cold, or congestion. If they have a high fever, give them medicine per your doctor and make sure they are staying hydrated. If they have significant trouble breathing, look lethargic or ill, call 911 or take them to the emergency room. There is a small population of kids who can develop Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome.
Arturo Loaiza-Bonilla, president of the Pennsylvania Society of Oncology and Hematology
Loaiza-Bonilla wants you to remember that many cancer patients are at a higher risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19. So, even if your body might recover just fine, it can be more dangerous for someone in cancer treatment or recently in remission.
If you are a cancer patient or have a loved one with cancer, here’s what to know.
Get your vaccine booster shots, if you haven’t already.
Wear a surgical mask or an N95.
You can hang out with friends and family, but be sure to respect your medical team’s guidance.
“Take advantage of the weather and try to enjoy activities outside.”
If you are going through chemotherapy or treatment that might affect your immune response, you may want to avoid public settings at times.
If you are planning on visiting a loved one with cancer, take an at-home COVID-19 test before seeing them.
If despite taking all precautions, you become ill, Loaiza-Bonilla suggests you ask your doctors for antivirals to help your body fight the virus.