Until you’re vaccinated, consider wearing two masks to reduce your risk of infection

There’s some good news for older adults on the novel coronavirus front. Of the people vaccinated to date, more than 40 percent are older adults who now have significant protection against getting sick. If you’re among the unvaccinated, the latest data suggests that you should consider wearing two masks to reduce your likelihood of infection.

To date, about 40 million people in the US have been vaccinated. And, 17 million of them are over 65. Because older adults are far more at risk of hospitalization and death as a result of COVID, this is welcome news. Older adults should be at the front of the vaccination line, among other reasons, to reduce deaths. Eight in ten people who have died from COVID have been over 65.

West Virginia is leading the way in vaccinating older people, with more than one in three vaccinated. Other states have vaccinated fewer than one in five older people.

The federal government prioritized giving vaccines to people living in long-term care facilities, their caregivers and healthcare workers. That said, there are easily 35 million older adults who are still awaiting a vaccine. And, 21 states have not expanded eligibility for the vaccine to all older people, only those with specific health conditions or older than 75.

If you are still waiting to be vaccinated, consider wearing two masks to reduce your risk of infection. According to the CDC, you want to wear a tight-fitting mask. The disposable surgical masks can serve that role if you tighten them so that air cannot leak out or into them. Then, wear a cloth mask over it.

Wearing two masks has been found to filter out more than 95 percent of airborne particles. But, they only do so if they are properly fitting, tight around the nose and mouth so that air cannot leak out.

How do you know if air is leaking out? Put your hand beside your face to feel whether air is coming out. Or, if you wear glasses, they will likely fog up if there’s a leak.

How can you make a mask tighter fitting? Try knotting the earloops close to the mask. Or, tuck in the sides of the mask near your face.

Shockingly, only 36 states require mask-wearing in public.

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