ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — It’s been a week since people across the country started getting vaccinated, but health officials said we can save even more people if more of us keep wearing masks.
Researchers with the Institute for Health Metrics at the University of Washington project how many people could die of COVID-19 based on what’s going on in a given area.
Researchers there project how many people could die of COVID-19 based on what’s going on in a given area. They then study factors that might bring that number down, like the rollout of the Pfizier and Moderna vaccines.
READ: Florida reports more than 11,015 new COVID-19 cases, 115 virus-related deaths
For example, in Florida, the team says about 32,600 people could die of COVID-19 by April 1. They project the vaccines, if people actually get vaccinated, could save about 1,100 people.
But, if 95% of Floridians also wear masks, we could save another 700 people.
About 70% of Floridians say they wear masks now, according to Dr. Ali Mokdad with the Institute for Health Metrics.
READ: ‘Be a superhero this holiday season’: Surgeon general warns of need for convalescent plasma
Mokdad said masks are still important even with the rollout of the vaccines because, right now, we only know the vaccines are about 95% effective at stopping people from getting severely sick with COVID-19. And, we don’t know if it stops transmission of the virus from person to person.
Also, most of us won’t get the vaccine until at least March.
Mokdad said we might finally be able to ditch masks when we vaccinate enough people for herd immunity, which is when a large-enough portion of the population because immune to a disease, making its spread unlikely.
READ: Coronavirus live updates: Biden gets vaccinated for COVID-19
It will take at least 70% of people being vaccinated to get to that point, Mokdad said.
Cox Media Group
