Medical experts advise public to keep masking on public transit after federal judge lifts national mandate | The Boston Globe

CEID Faculty Dr. David Hamer weighed in on masking after national mandate was lifted:

“Dr. David H. Hamer, professor of global health and medicine at the Boston University Schools of Public Health and Medicine, said via email that he was somewhat caught off guard by the court ruling striking down the mandate.

‘I am a bit shocked by the Florida judge’s ruling,’ Hamer wrote. ‘Although numbers of cases have been declining on average across the US, they have been rising in certain states like MA. There remains a risk of transmission, mainly due to the highly transmissible BA.2 variant. I think it is premature to drop mask use on public transportation.’

Hamer said certain settings like planes, trains, taxis, and rideshares such as Uber and Lyft ‘are high risk for transmission if the ride is longer duration and windows cannot be open. Public buses may be slightly better if the windows are open but even there one needs to be cautious. I would advise people, especially those who are potentially more vulnerable to infection as a result of age or underlying medical conditions, to continue to wear masks on public transport especially airplanes or any rides of longer duration.’…”

Read the full article here.