Even After 'Mask Removal,' High-Risk Groups Are Advised to Wear Them... Unvaccinated Elderly May Risk Health if Removed

Government Lifts Outdoor Mask Mandate but Actively Recommends High-Risk Groups to Wear Masks
Experts Emphasize Importance of Mask Wearing for Uninfected and Symptomatic Individuals

The government announced on the 29th that the outdoor mask-wearing mandate will be lifted starting from the 2nd of next month.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] The quarantine authorities announced that the mandatory wearing of masks outdoors will be lifted starting May 2. However, the obligation remains in place for large-scale gatherings or sports events where many droplets are generated, and mask-wearing is strongly recommended for high-risk groups.

On the morning of the 29th, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum presided over the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting for COVID-19 at the Government Seoul Office and stated that for assemblies, performances, and sports games with more than 50 attendees, the mask-wearing obligation will be maintained considering the frequent droplet-generating activities such as shouting or singing.

In addition to cases where mask-wearing is mandatory, active recommendations were also announced. Specifically, these include Δ having suspected COVID-19 symptoms such as fever or cough Δ belonging to a high-risk group for COVID-19 Δ using outdoor multi-use facilities or attending events with more than 50 people Δ being in a crowded situation where it is difficult to maintain at least 1 meter distance from others continuously (for 15 minutes or more) or where droplet generation is high due to shouting or singing.

High-risk groups refer to the elderly, immunocompromised individuals, patients with chronic respiratory diseases, and the unvaccinated. Especially for unvaccinated elderly people, the risk of infection increases significantly if masks are removed. Even apart from COVID-19, the elderly are vulnerable to respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, which often leads to death.

Although not included in the active recommendation group, it has become advantageous for uninfected individuals to wear masks. As of the 29th, the cumulative number of confirmed cases is about 17.2 million, meaning 33% of the entire population of South Korea has been infected.

However, experts believe that including asymptomatic cases, more than half of the population has already been infected. This means uninfected individuals are actually a minority. Unlike confirmed cases who have natural immunity through infection or super immunity through infection and vaccination, uninfected individuals need to be more cautious as vaccine effectiveness decreases rapidly over time.

Professor Cheon Eun-mi of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Ewha Mokdong Hospital said, "Unofficially, it is believed that about 60% of the population has been infected with COVID-19," adding, "It is best for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and uninfected individuals to continue wearing masks and follow quarantine rules themselves."

In 2020, the quarantine authorities cited overseas research stating that the probability of contracting COVID-19 was 90% when an uninfected person without a mask came into contact with an infected person without a mask. When the uninfected person wore a mask and came into contact with an infected person without a mask, the infection probability dropped to 70%, and when the infected person wore a mask, the probability of infecting an uninfected person without a mask was 5%, showing that it was much more effective for the infected person to wear a mask. When both wore masks, the transmission probability further decreased to 1.5%.

Experts agreed that although the outdoor mask-wearing mandate has been lifted, voluntary mask-wearing by symptomatic individuals is very important, and uninfected individuals still need to wear masks to protect themselves.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.