It’s no secret that fewer and fewer people are wearing face masks these days. For a long time, it was rare to see someone buying groceries without a mask on, but these days, the number of mask-wearers is steadily dropping.
In large part, that’s due to the increasing number of people becoming vaccinated against the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced last month that fully vaccinated people could safely stop wearing masks and social distance from others inside most places.
Moreover, Gov. Andy Beshear recently announced that Kentucky’s mask mandate would largely end June 11 and that events and venues could return to 100% capacity that same day.
Compared to a year ago, things are certainly changing.
While much of the population can’t wait to toss the masks and enjoy a reopened economy again, some of these changes are likely overwhelming for senior citizens.
For those 65 years and older, their age group has long been touted as one of the most vulnerable populations for severe complications stemming from the pandemic.
The CDC says the risk of severe illness from COVID-19 increases with age. More than half of the state’s COVID-19 deaths have been nursing home residents.
So far, according to the most recent data available on Kentucky’s CHFS Vaccination Dashboard, 2.16 million Kentuckians have received the vaccine. In total, 49% of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated.
While those numbers are improving, IPSOS reported that fewer than half of Americans (44%) socially distanced in the past week, and fewer than half (45%) are wearing masks at all times when leaving the home. That’s down from 58% during the last wave of infections.
These numbers mean that there are still many unvaccinated people not wearing masks or social distancing in public. For many seniors, that reality can be frightening.
However, there is good news for the senior population. The state’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services reports that more seniors have been vaccinated than any other age group, significantly decreasing their chances of catching the virus.
According to the CHFS, 568,867 seniors 65 years of age and older have been vaccinated, while 569,825 individuals between 50 and 64 years of age have been vaccinated. CHFS reports that 82% of the state’s population aged 65+ are vaccinated. (6/22/2021 Data from CHFS Vaccination Dashboard)
When asked, many seniors said they believed mask-wearing and being vaccinated went hand-in-hand. Many said they feel OK about the masks coming off, especially outdoors, as long as those not wearing them are vaccinated.
“As long as they’ve been vaccinated, I feel OK about seeing less people wear masks,” said Agnes Johnson. “The problem is, you don’t always know if people have been vaccinated. But almost everyone I know has been. When we get together, I feel pretty safe.”
Elementary school teacher Sally Tingle agreed, adding that she believes there is a big difference between wearing a mask outdoors versus wearing one indoors.
“I have been vaccinated, and I’m fine now with not wearing a mask,” she said. “In planes, you have to wear them, and I think that’s the right thing to do. In a confined space, or at a doctor’s office, I think you should wear them there. I don’t think we need to wear them outdoors at the park, though.”
Tingle said she saw firsthand how beneficial masks could be for a number of reasons aside from protecting seniors from COVID-19. Over the last year, her elementary school reported “almost zero” cases of strep throat, flu and the common cold in students.
“It makes me more conscientious about germs out in public,” she said of mask-wearing.
Interestingly, most seniors refrained from talking about the issue of fewer face masks being worn in public. When asked how they felt about Beshear’s mask mandate being eased in June, they also chose not to answer the question.
These responses, or lack thereof, could lead one to wonder whether the topic of face masks has continued to be a political, divisive subject in the minds of many seniors.
According to articles from nearly every national outlet, the extreme political polarization of the American people has caused conversations concerning face masks to become taboo for many people, including seniors.
Discussion aside, recent statistics show that seniors largely disapprove of an individual’s decision to not wear a mask. According to The Senior List, 76% of those 60 years and older “disapprove” or “strongly disapprove” of an individual’s decision not to wear a mask in public.
While the CDC and the Beshear administration have claimed vaccinated individuals are protected enough without masks, both entities have also made it clear that those who aren’t vaccinated should continue wearing them.
In an article published May 15, 2021 by Breitbart, Beshear had this to say, “If you are unwilling to get vaccinated, you really need to wear the mask to protect yourself from what is a pretty lethal virus.”
At Timesavers, it is our mission to assist clients as they navigate this post-pandemic world, whether they choose to be mask-less or to wear masks – they are our priority!
-by Katie Pickens, Guest Writer
References: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear Announces End to Mask Mandate. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/05/15/kentucky-gov-andy-beshear-announces-end-to-mask-mandate-other-restrictions/
