CDC data shows that when states lifted restrictions on dining at restaurants, rates of daily COVID-19 cases jumped during a period about one month to three months later. COVID-19-related deaths also increased significantly after 60 days.
On the other hand, the same report demonstrates that state mask mandates slowed the spread of Covid-19 within just a few weeks.
The take home message from this is that dining restrictions and mask mandates help.
I want to remind our readers that an important factor that is rarely discussed has to do with the amount of virus a person is exposed to. It turns out that the amount of viral particles a person comes into contact with is one of the determining factors with regard to how sick that person will get from Covid. So, just being exposed to the virus does not mean that you will sick. We have seen that many people have mild disease or even asymptomatic disease, which means that they could spread the virus without even knowing that they have the virus. One of the reasons why some people have such mild cases of Covid-19 is potentially linked to the amount of the virus they were initially exposed to. The more viral particle you come into contact with the greater the chance of developing a severe case of Covid-19.
Wearing a mask may not completely prevent exposure to the virus, but it will very likely reduce the quantity of viral particles that you come into contact with, which could make all the difference in how you fare from an infection.
Read our previous Blog about this the viral inoculum by clicking the link below.
Size Matters When It Comes To Coronavirus Severity
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Dr. Justin Groode | Patient Advocate Alliance LLC
