Why WHO Is Asking Vaccinated People To Still Keep Wearing Masks?

The World Health Organization on Friday advised fully vaccinated people to continue wearing masks and practice safe health protocols due to the highly contagious Covid-19 Delta variant. Classified as a variant of concern, the Delta variant that was first detected in India has been spreading havoc across the globe and is considered to be the most transmissible of all the variants.

In a news briefing, Dr. Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director-general for access to medicines and health products said that the vaccine alone will not stop community transmission. People still need to protect themselves as two vaccine doses does not guarantee being safe from virus infection.

"People need to continue to use masks consistently, be in ventilated spaces, hand hygiene ... the physical distance, avoid crowding,” the director-general said.

“This still continues to be extremely important, even if you're vaccinated when you have a community transmission ongoing." Simao added.

This advice comes despite existing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on an ease in health protocols for fully vaccinated individuals.

In May, the CDC, told vaccinated Americans that they no longer needed to wear masks indoors. The WHO’s current stand is a split from CDC’s current guidelines which states: "Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance."

The CDC gave no indication that it would change its protocols even with reports of the Delta variant spreading around the United States.

According to CNN, the Covid-19 Delta variant has now been detected in all 50 states and Washington, DC. The last state to report the variant is South Dakota, which confirmed its first case on Tuesday. The highly transmissible variant now accounts for 50% of active cases in Los Angeles. Report tallies show it has been detected in 1 out of 5 of cases around the country.

In a data analysis report from Johns Hopkins University, 23 states had more cases in the latest week than in the week before, with 26 states clocking in more deaths than a week earlier. "Until we better understand how and to who the delta variant is spreading, everyone should focus on maximum protection," the Los Angeles County of Department Public Health said Monday.