Dr. Fauci on why the U.S. is 'out of the pandemic phase'

[Zeitghost]

26. Masks can certainly slow the spread

If they are worn properly all the time. The problem with the masks on a plane rule were they understandably allowed for significant periods of time where they did not need to be worn so people could eat and drink. Combine that with extremely contagious variants like Omicron and it's derivatives and you get very little real world benefit.

If you're sitting next to an asymptomatic but contagious person with Omicron and you're both properly wearing masks the entire time, you have a good chance of not catching it. If you both spend two 15-20 minute periods eating and drinking, it doesn't really matter that you spent the rest of the flight with your mask on. On my trip to Hawaii last November, the flight attendant who barked at a guy for his mask slipping under his nose as he boarded didn't utter a peep as he spent a 4 hour flight sucking on lollypops and sipping his water with his mask off. Like much of airline security, it's largely theater meant to keep people thinking they are doing something productive.

It's for that reason as well as the number of people that now have significant protection from the most serious effects that I believe the lifting of some mandates will not cause significant problems.