When Is It Safe To Go Maskless?

As the latest COVID-19 wave begins to recede, many jurisdictions are removing their mask mandates. That doesn't mean that you can't still wear a mask though, but you might wonder when it's safe to do.

For some time, I've been following Dr. Wachter on Twitter. He's the chair of the department of medicine at UCSF (University of California San Francisco) and is both knowledgeable and a good communicator. In this article, he explains some of the factors you should think about when deciding whether or not to wear a mask in various situations.

SFGATE: When and where are you still wearing a mask and why?

Wachter: I am now comfortable eating indoors in restaurants. I also am fine getting together in small to mid-sized groups (up to 10 or so) of people who I’m pretty confident are vaccinated. (For example, I’ve resumed, maskless, my eight-person poker game.) I haven’t worn a mask outdoors since early in the pandemic. But in larger indoor groups or in places where it seems unnecessary to accept any risk of catching COVID, I’ll still wear a mask. So I wear one when I’m shopping, and would wear one if I went to a movie or indoor sporting event. I’m still required to wear one in the hospital. Flying: I keep it on for as much of the flight as I can, and try to remove it (briefly) to eat when others around me have their masks on.

SFGATE: What factors should people consider when determining whether or not to wear a mask in certain situations?

Wachter: How much COVID is there in your region, what is your own personal risk from COVID (have you had three shots or, if you’ve had a documented infection, at least one to two shots; and also are you older, immunosuppressed, have medical co-morbidities or live with people who meet any of these categories). It’s also worth understanding how risk-averse you are.

As for myself, I have several boxes of KN95 masks and will continue to wear them indoors or crowded outdoor situations for some time to come. COVID-19 rates in Souther Ontario are coming down and I now feel comfortable enough to eat indoors in a restaurant. But I will still wear them shopping or going to a concert or movie, probably until the summer, depending on where we stand with infection rates.