Why is nobody wearing masks anymore?

Last week, just a couple of hours into a house-sitting stint in Massachusetts for my cousin and his wife, I received from them a flummoxed text: “Dude,” it read. “We are the only people in masks.” Upon arriving at the airport, and then boarding their flight, they’d been shocked to find themselves virtually alone in wearing masks of any kind. On another trip they’d taken to Hawaii in July, they told me, long after coverings became optional on planes, some 80 percent of people on their flight had been masking up. This time, though? “We are like the odd man out.”

Being outside of the current norm “does not bother us,” my cousin’s wife said in another text, despite stares from some of the other passengers. But the about-face my cousin and his wife identified does mark a new phase of the pandemic, even if it’s one that has long been playing out in fits and starts. Months after the vanishing of most masking mandates, mask wearing has been relegated to a sharply shrinking sector of society. It has become, once again, a peculiar thing to do.

“If you notice, no one’s wearing masks,” President Joe Biden declared last month on 60 Minutes. That’s an overstatement, but not by much: According to the COVID States Project, a large-scale national survey on pandemic-mitigation behaviors, the masking rate among Americans bounced between around 50 and 80 percent over the first two years of the pandemic. But since this past winter, it’s been in a slide; the project’s most recent data, collected in September, found that just 29 percent have been wearing masks outside the home. This trend may be long-standing on the population level, but for individuals—and particularly for those who still wear masks, such as my cousin and his wife—it can lead to moments of abrupt self-consciousness. “It feels like it’s something that now needs an explanation,” Fiona Lowenstein, a journalist and COVID long-hauler based in Los Angeles, told me. “It’s like showing up in a weird hat, and you have to explain why you’re wearing it.”

Now that most Americans can access COVID vaccines and treatments that slash the risk of severe disease and death, plenty of people have made informed decisions to relax on masking—and feel totally at ease with their behavior while paying others’ little mind. Some are no longer masking all the time but will do so if it makes others feel more comfortable; others are still navigating new patterns, trying to stay flexible amid fluctuating risk. Saskia Popescu, an infectious-disease epidemiologist at George Mason University, told me that she’s now more likely to doff her mask while dining or working out indoors, but that she leaves it on when she travels. And when she does decide to cover up, she said, she’s “definitely felt like more of an outlier.”

For some, like my cousin and his wife, that shift feels slightly jarring. For others, though, it feels more momentous. High-filtration masks are one of the few measures that can reliably tamp down on infection and transmission across populations, and they’re still embraced by many parents of newborns too young for vaccines, by people who are immunocompromised and those who care for them, and by those who want to minimize their risk of developing long COVID, which can’t be staved off by vaccines and treatments alone. Theresa Chapple-McGruder, a Chicago-area epidemiologist, plans to keep her family masking at least until her baby son is old enough to receive his first COVID shots. In the meantime, though, they’ve certainly been feeling the pressure to conform. “People often tell me, ‘It’s okay, you can take your mask off here,’” Chapple-McGruder told me; teachers at the local elementary school have said similar things to her young daughters. Meghan McCoy, a former doctor in New Hampshire who takes immunosuppressive medications for psoriatic arthritis and has ME/CFS, has also been feeling “the pressure to take the mask off,” she told me—at her kid’s Girl Scout troop meetings, during trips to the eye doctor. “You can feel when you’re the only one doing something,” McCoy said. “It’s noticeable.”

Read: Mask mandates are illogical. So what?

For Chapple-McGruder, McCoy, and plenty of others, the gradual decline in masking creates new challenges. For one thing, the rarer the practice, the tougher it is for still-masking individuals to minimize their exposures. “One-way masking is a lot less effective,” says Gabriel San Emeterio, a social worker at Hunter College who is living with HIV and ME/CFS. And the less common masking gets, the more conspicuous it becomes. “If most people met me, they wouldn’t know I was immunocompromised,” McCoy told me. “There’s no big sign on our foreheads that says ‘this person doesn’t have a functioning immune system.’” But now, she said, “masks have kind of become that sign.”

Aparna Nair, a historian and disability scholar at the University of Oklahoma who has epilepsy, told me that she thinks masks are becoming somewhat analogous to wheelchairs, prosthetics, hearing aids, and her own seizure-alert dog, Charlie: visible tools and technologies that invite compassion, but also skepticism, condescension, and invasive questions. During a recent rideshare, she told me, her driver started ranting that her mask was unnecessary and ineffective—just part of a “conspiracy.” His tone was so angry, Nair said, that she began to be afraid. She tried to make him understand her situation: I’ve been chronically ill for three decades; I’d rather not fall sick; better to be safe than sorry. But she said that her driver seemed unswayed and continued to mutter furiously under his breath for the duration of the ride. Situations of that kind—where she has to litigate her right to wear a mask—have been getting more common, Nair told me.

Masking has been weighed down with symbolic meaning since the start of the pandemic, with some calling it a sign of weakness and others a vehicle for state control. Americans have been violently attacked for wearing masks and also for not wearing them. But for a long time, these tensions were set against the backdrop of majority masking nationwide. Local mask mandates were in place, and most scientific experts wore and championed them in public. With many of those infrastructural supports and signals now gone, masking has rapidly become a minority behavior—and people who are still masking told me that that inversion only makes the tension worse.

San Emeterio, who wears a vented respirator when they travel, recently experienced a round of heckling from a group of men at an airport, who started to stare, laugh, and point. Oh my god, look at what he’s wearing, San Emeterio recalls the strangers saying. “They clearly meant for me to hear it,” San Emeterio told me. “It didn’t make me feel great.” Alex Mawdsley, the 14-year-old son of an immunocompromised physician in Chicago, is one of just a handful of kids at his middle school who are still masking up. Since the start of the academic year, he’s been getting flak from several of his classmates “at least once a week,” he told me: “They’re like ‘You’re not gonna get COVID from me’ and ‘Why are you still wearing that? You don’t need it anymore.’”

Alex’s mother, Emily Landon, told me she’s been shaken by the gawks and leers she now receives for masking. Even prior to the pandemic, and before she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and began taking immunosuppressive drugs, she considered herself something of a hygiene stan; she always took care to step back from the sneezy and sniffy, and to wipe down tray tables on planes. “And it was never a big deal,” she said.

Read: Put your face in airplane mode

It hasn’t helped that the donning of masks has been repeatedly linked to chaos and crisis—and their removal, to triumph. Early messaging about vaccines strongly implied that the casting away of masks could be a kind of post-immunization reward. In February, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky described masks as “the scarlet letter of this pandemic.” Two months later, when the requirements for masking on public transportation were lifted, passengers on planes ripped off their coverings mid-flight and cheered.

To reclaim a mask-free version of “normalcy,” then, may seem like reverting to a past that was safer, more peaceful. The past few years “have been mentally and emotionally exhausting,” Linda Tropp, a social psychologist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, told me. Discarding masks may feel like jettisoning a bad memory, whereas clinging to them reminds people of an experience they desperately want to leave behind. For some members of the maskless majority, feeling like “the normal ones” again could even serve to legitimize insulting, dismissive, or aggressive behavior toward others, says Markus Kemmelmeier, a social psychologist at the University of Nevada at Reno.

It’s unclear how the masking discourse might evolve from here. Kemmelmeier told me he’s optimistic that the vitriol will fade as people settle into a new chapter of their coexistence with COVID. Many others, though, aren’t so hopeful, given the way the situation has unfolded thus far. “There’s this feeling of being left behind while everyone else moves on,” Lowenstein, the Los Angeles journalist and long-hauler, told me. Lowenstein and others are now missing out on opportunities, they told me, that others are easily reintegrating back into their lives: social gatherings, doctor’s appointments, trips to visit family they haven’t seen in months or more than a year. “I’d feel like I could go on longer this way,” Lowenstein said, if more of society were in it together.

I am sure many builders would prefer not to wear a hard hat on site, just as some doctors would prefer not to wear a mask. However, as per the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, the wearing of correct personal protective equipment at work is a legal requirement.

Sars-CoV-2 is a level 3 airborne biohazard. It is not a cold. Through his work with children, Dr Pickard will know that they are not immune to the harms of this virus. No one wants to wear a mask, but many of us do because – despite political denial and media silence – we are still in the midst of a pandemic.

As an intensive care doctor, Dr Pickard will have access to respiratory protective equipment and will spend his time working in a properly ventilated ICU ward. Many healthcare workers were not fortunate enough to be afforded the same workplace protections and paid for this with their lives, or ended up disabled by long Covid.

Dr Pickard argues that mask-wearing should be forgone because “there appears to be no concept of when it will end”. Extending that logic, should we abolish seatbelts because the risk of road traffic accidents is never going to end?

I do not disagree that masks are a short-term fix. The science is clear about the solution: ventilation. The UK government must now invest in clean air. But until environments are made safe through the installation of ventilation systems, it is a moral imperative for every healthcare worker to wear a mask to keep themselves and their patients safe.Kelly Fearnley Foundation doctor, West Yorkshire

Being immunocompromised and having had Covid, I ended up with complications of recurring shingles; I still take a prophylactic to suppress them. I did get vaccinated in early 2021 – since then, my GP’s advice was not to have the booster due to my current health issues. I am vulnerable to life-threatening complications from Covid. My health is worse now than before Covid. So three years on, I’m still shielding.

Like Dr Jack Pickard, I would much prefer to see a doctor’s face when in consultation, – but the reality is that masks protect my health and my life. Is my life worth less than seeing someone’s face to “connect” with?

Despite my GP’s advice, my hospital has told me that it’s my personal choice not to be vaccinated, and I must be treated the same as everyone else. I therefore have to sit in waiting rooms with people not wearing masks. Apparently, it’s a conflict between the general population and a few people who are vulnerable like me.

However, masks can still be a good idea for some people, and they still may be required in some situations. Here’s what you need to know about masking and staying prepared for the future.

The current masking guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the combined use of COVID-19 vaccines, booster shots and situational masking to prevent severe COVID-19.

Whether you should wear a mask depends on your chance of getting severe COVID-19 and how fast COVID-19 is spreading in your community. Of course, it’s fine if you want to continue wearing a mask, even if you don’t necessarily need one.

Here’s what to consider when deciding if you should still mask up:

If you’re at high risk of getting a severe case of COVID-19, wearing a mask will help keep you safe. It can also be a good idea to talk to your doctor about monoclonal antibodies and other treatments that can reduce your chance of severe COVID-19. You may be at greater risk of getting a severe case of COVID-19 if:

If there is still a high level of COVID-19 spread in your community, it’s a good idea to wear a mask. While much of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa are at low to medium risk, there are still areas where the risk of transmission remains high. So, it’s important to check COVID-19 transmission rates for your county before deciding if you should mask up. Here’s what the CDC recommends based on transmission rates:

Masks may still be required or requested in some situations and locations – for example, when traveling during COVID-19. So, it’s a good idea to look for masking guidelines before heading out of the house and to keep a clean mask with you in case you need it.

It’s totally fine to keep wearing a mask if it makes you feel more comfortable – even if you live where there’s low community transmission and you don’t have health risks for severe COVID-19. This can also be a good idea because even if you get vaccinated, breakthrough cases of COVID-19 are still possible.

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots when eligible is still the best thing you can do to reduce your chance of getting a serious case of COVID-19 or spreading it to others.

But masking, along with the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shots, further reduces your chances of getting a serious case of COVID-19. And if you’re less likely to get a serious case of COVID-19, you’re also much less likely to have serious long-haul COVID-19 symptoms that can last for months.

Handling your mask safely helps make it even more effective at limiting the spread of germs. Follow these steps to put on your mask the right way:

There are a variety of masking choices, including cloth masks, surgical masks, KN95 masks, KF94 masks and N95 respirators.

Earlier in the pandemic it was important to reserve N95 masks for front-line workers. Now that they are more widely available, should everyone wear them? Not necessarily.

If you live in a part of the country with a high risk of COVID-19 transmission, finely woven cloth masks and disposable surgical masks offer good protection against the spread of COVID-19. However, masks work best if everyone else is masking up as well.

So if you’re wondering if you should switch to N95, KN95 or KF94, consider where you’re going and who you’ll be around. Are other people wearing masks? Will you be around people who may be unvaccinated or have COVID-19?

The biggest differences between these masks are in the following areas:

If you decide to wear a N95, KN95 or KF94, watch out for fakes. The CDC estimates that about 60% of available respirators are fake and they’ve provided tips to identify approved respirators. Also, try to avoid use of N95 respirators labeled for surgical or medical use – these masks should be prioritized for health care workers, so they have the right protection to safely do their jobs.

You may be able to reuse a N95, KN95 or KF94 mask a few times, as long as you take care of your mask between uses. But it really depends on where you’re wearing the mask and for how long.

If you’re wearing one of these masks for a few hours a day, you might be able to wear the same mask for a week or so. But if you live in an area with high community transmission and spend 8 hours or more around people who might have COVID-19, it’s probably safer to toss your mask at the end of the day.

No matter what type of mask you choose, here are some key things to look for:

We provide more details about how to care for your masks below, but here are the highlights:

You should avoid wearing:

Keep your masks in tip-top shape by handling, storing and cleaning them properly.

If you’re planning on reusing your mask, you’ll want to be more careful about how you take it off and store it. When you’re done wearing it, use clean hands to pull it off by the ear straps so you don’t touch the front. Then store the mask separately so it can’t touch your other items – perhaps in its own paper bag.

When it’s time to use the mask again, pick it up with clean hands and make sure it doesn’t have rips or tears before putting it on again. You’ll also want to be sure that the mask still fits well.

And, of course, any time you touch a mask that’s been used – whether you’re taking it off or putting it on – you should wash your hands to make sure you remove any germs that may have been on the outside of the mask.

Sometimes it’s hard to know where your day will take you, so keeping a small stash of masks in your car, purse, backpack and office makes it easy to grab one and go – no matter what’s on your schedule.

Wearing a mask doesn’t have to be a drag. KN95 and KF94 masks come in a variety of colors so you’re not limited to plain white face coverings. You could wear a mask that shows off your favorite sport or animal, or choose a mask that matches your outfit. Look at masks as a way to express yourself!

Masks aren’t one size fits all – literally.

If you find your mask is uncomfortable, always slipping or too tight against your skin, don’t give up. Most likely, you have a mask that’s too big, too small or not made from the right material. As a result, it’s not feeling right to you.

Effective masks come in many shapes and sizes, and they’re made from many kinds of materials. Look around for another mask to find one that feels better. Eventually, you’ll discover one that’s just right.

Sometimes it can be hard to see the point of safety precautions – especially since the pandemic has been going on for quite some time. This is a normal and natural thought called “caution fatigue” or “mask fatigue.”

Here are some tips to help overcome mask fatigue: