University of Minnesota professors duo Eva Enns and Katy Backes wrote in a recent Star Tribune OpEd that Minnesotans should put their masks back on – but not necessarily for ever. They write that as academic researchers they were disappointed with the recent CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommendation, which they call as a radical turn.

We need to ask ourselves whether this is morally tolerable. Many Minnesota entities — cities, schools and institutions, including the University of Minnesota, have followed the CDC’s lead. […] Their guidance suggests that it is now reasonable to forgo the use of masks in situations that previously were considered a high risk of COVID-19 exposure. The assumption is that, if infected with COVID-19, you will likely not be hospitalized, and if you are, there is hospital capacity to care for you. As we have seen through previous waves of the pandemic, this is tenuous. It is true until it is not.

They write that as researchers they know what works and what doesn’t. What works to reduce Covid-19 transmission is vaccination, ventilation and marks, they write.

A recent CDC study estimated that consistent N95 mask use reduces the odds of infection by 83%. We also know that universal masking is more effective than one-way masking. When one person masks, they reduce their own exposure to the aerosols of others. When everyone masks, there are far fewer aerosols released into the air in the first place. The latest CDC guidance does away with universal masking recommendations in favor of putting the onus on individuals at high-risk of severe outcomes to protect themselves.

Mask requirements make public spaces safer for everyone. All Minnesotans deserve to participate in public life, from the young to the old, from the immunocompromised to the immunocompetent, from children under 5 still not eligible for even a first vaccination dose to the vaccinated adults whose immunity is now waning. This means being able to safely attend school, safely receive services, and safely shop for food and other essentials.

They emphasize that for an inclusive Minnesota the routine use of masks should be normalized. “And we will not necessarily mask forever. Recommendations for mask use can change when we’ve ensured that our indoor environments are safe for all Minnesotans. And when new risks arise, we may mask again because the evidence shows that universal masking protects us all.”

• Minnesotans should put their masks back on
• Signals from the sewer
• CDC sewer data suggests bump in US COVID-19 cases

Citing recent CDC data from wastewater sampling analysis, The Hill blog writes that there was 10% uptick of Covid-19 cases. “Sixty-two of those sites showed an increase of 1,000 percent or more, while 48 increased anywhere from 100 percent to 999 percent.”

Amy Kirby, the program lead for the CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System, told The Hill last month that “40 percent to 80 percent of people who have COVID-19 shed viral RNA in their feces”.