It ain’t over till it’s over.
As we near our one year anniversary of abnormal life thanks to the pandemic, we have another thing coming. Perhaps you know this, perhaps you don’t, so let me be clear: the new coronavirus variants are not here to play. Well, they are, but we aren’t. At least we shouldn’t be.
The B.1.1.7 variant, a.k.a. the U.K. variant, is proving to be more transmissible, which is an obvious problem: more transmission, more cases. Yes, vaccines are here to help, but this variant is a lot faster at spreading than vaccines.
As scientists have been tracking the variant in the U.S., the trajectory is such that the B.1.1.7 variant will become the dominant variant in March (Galloway et al., 2021). And it will continue to grow in its domination. According to Washington et al. (2021), the rate of B.1.1.7 transmission will grow by at least 35-45%, doubling every week and a half. They, like Galloway et al., say that it is almost certain to become the dominant variant in March, which is only ten days away. Yikes.
In the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report released on February 17, 2021, there is a nice graphic there that gives the gist of it:
The gist of the gist is this: The variant is out there. From reading a handful of these journal articles and press releases (from reputable sources like the CDC, mind you!), I saw over and over again the emphasis on mitigation strategies to keep this new wave from spiraling out of control. Walensky et al. (2021) report that the modeling data suggest a more contagious variant, such as B.1.1.7, can potentially worsen the trajectory of the pandemic in the U.S., reversing the downward trend and delaying control of the pandemic. In short, it’s gonna get worse before it gets better—again. It can’t be stopped, but it can be mitigated by doing the things shown in the graphic above.
Yet, COVID fatigue is real. Many, if not all of us, feel it. The chronic stress of uncertainty, without a sign of “normal” life returning anytime soon, is draining both physically and emotionally. The longer the pandemic goes on, the harder it can be to stay motivated to practice all the public health things like physical distancing, not traveling, and wearing a mask.
Speaking of masks, mask fatigue is also very real, especially in soggy climates, such as the Pacific Northwest. Wet masks are a pain in the butt. Even dry masks can be a nuisance as much as they’ve become an added facial feature. For me, breaking out, labored breathing while running, and feeling like I’m shouting in casual conversation are a few reasons I feel mask fatigue. I miss smiling at strangers and kids (in a non-creepy way!) and feeling fresh air on my face. I’m tired of smelling my garlic breath and having a runny nose that I can’t unashamedly wipe with my hand because #donttouchyourface.
There are many more reasons to hate on masks—I’m only human. But I’m also a public health professional, so here I am to say please keep wearing your mask. It does make a difference. And if you’re getting tired of that piece of fabric on your face all the time, I hear you. We all do. As much as I believe in mask-wearing to protect oneself and others, I think we’ve all heard that message enough to get it: masks keep everyone safer. At least I hope that’s clear enough by now! If not, read this scientific brief (i.e., Spark Notes version) about how masks control the spread (CDC, 2020).
Now, after months of promoting mask use for public health benefit, I’d like to offer a slightly different list of reasons to still wear a mask. Reasons that are all selfish (read “human”) and fun:
- Stick your tongue out at rude people.
- Whisper to yourself how cool you are.
- Keep your lips warm for that special someone or something (i.e., ice cream?).
- Lip synch like no is watching, because they can’t. Ha!
- Practice smizing and make Tyra proud.
I practice all of these, but numbers one and two are my favorites. What are your alternative reasons for masking up? Leave a comment here or on my Instagram post. Let’s share notes because, well, we could all use a little entertainment, couldn’t we?
The long and the short of it is that we’re all a little tired of COVID life, but “normal” life depends on we the people, scientists and non-scientists alike. So, until we have it all under control, please keep all noses, lips, and chins inside the mask at all times while out and about. And go on, make a face!
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, November). Scientific Brief: Community Use of Cloth Masks to Control the Spread of SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/more/masking-science-sars-cov2.html
Firestone, M. J., Lorentz, A. J., Wang, X., et al. First Identified Cases of SARS-CoV-2 Variant B.1.1.7 in Minnesota — December 2020–January 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub: 17 February 2021. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7008e1external icon.
Galloway, S. E., Paul, P., MacCannell, D.R., et al. Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 lineage—United States, December 29, 2020-January 12, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2021;70(3):95-99. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7003e2PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
Washington, N.L., Gangavarapu, K., Zeller, M., et al. Genomic epidemiology identifies emergence and rapid transmission of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 in the United States. medRxiv. Preprint published online February 7, 2021. doi:10.1101/2021.02.06.21251159
