The masks are coming off, and cases of COVID in many parts of the country – including Washington – are going up.
And consider this: The case numbers we hear reported on the news no longer reflect the true infection rate.
“Unfortunately, fewer people are being tested now,” said Dr. John Swartzberg, an expert on infectious diseases at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health. “And an awful lot of people are testing themselves with the at-home test kits and not reporting those results.”
For that reason, Dr. Swartzberg still believes wearing a mask on planes, and other forms of public transportation, is the smart thing to do.
“We’re clearly in another period of time where COVID is going up,” he said. “We ought to do everything we can to prevent getting COVID. Now, that doesn’t mean living like a hermit, but it does mean doing prudent things that can reduce our risk of getting infected. So, whenever I go into a public building indoors, I always have a mask on.”
