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Docs Say Children, Their Parents, And Some Adults Should Continue To Wear Masks

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COLUMUBS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Ohio’s statewide pandemic health orders have expired. And while the mask mandate has also been lifted, doctors said there are people who should still be wearing masks.

Dr. Patty Manning-Courtney, Cincinnati Children's Hospital
Dr. Patty Manning-Courtney, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital [ODH]
Dr. Patty Manning-Courtney with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital said there are children there right now who are quite sick with COVID. And since kids 11 and under cannot be vaccinated, they should still wear masks.

“When they are out in crowds, out in public, out in stores, out at events, they should be masked and we are of the belief that parents and family members should mask along with them. It’s just the only way to protect that population,” Manning-Courtney said.

She and other doctors said kids, unvaccinated people and those who are older or have poor immune systems are still in danger of catching COVID. They note there are new highly-contagious variants out there.

More than 5.3 million Ohioans have received at least partial vaccines at this point but that rate needs to climb significantly before herd immunity could possibly be achieved, according to doctors.

Some Ohio politicians, including Republican Attorney General Dave Yost and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel, posted video of themselves burning masks on social media.

Manning-Courtney disagrees with that type of messaging and said Ohioans should be encouraged to wear masks if they are at risk of contracting COVID.