How Much Does One-Way Masking Protect You From COVID?

As omicron recedes and mask mandates are lifted, here's what you need to know before ditching a face covering.

With the omicron wave declining, many states are dropping their mask mandates. New York, which has been the epicenter of the pandemic at several points, recently dropped its indoor mask rule. Illinois is doing the same. Other states, including Massachusetts and New Jersey, are no longer requiring masks in K-12 school settings.

The changes are divisive, inspiring both celebration and concern among scientists, public health officials and people simply trying to go about their lives two years into the pandemic. Omicron is no longer pummeling the U.S. as it once was, but the country is still averaging more than 378,000 new cases per day. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not changed its stance on public masking.