Health officials: Wear masks in crowded spaces because of flu, RSV, and COVID

BOSTON - As respiratory viruses surge all over the country, including here in Massachusetts, health officials are saying it's time to start wearing masks again.

Dr. Mallika Marshall said it's a small sacrifice to make to stay healthy during what is turning out to be a bad year for respiratory illnesses. She says from personal experience, the flu is everywhere and will likely be the worst flu season in a decade.

COVID cases are on the rise and people, both young and old, are still getting really sick from RSV. She said all of these infections can be prevented by wearing a high-quality medical mask, such as an N95 or KN95 model.

She recommends that we all wear masks when we're in crowded spaces: on public transportation, in airports, and on planes, in malls while we do our holiday shopping, and anywhere people congregate.

In:
• RSV
• COVID-19
• Flu Season

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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