New Yorkers are again asked to wear masks as three respiratory viruses rage in the city

On Dec. 4, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised New Yorkers to wear masks indoors and on public transportation. This is due to the rapid spread of respiratory infections in the city, writes Silive.

During the briefing, agency director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said that taking precautions - wearing a mask and washing hands - can reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Now in New York and the United States, there is a surge in these diseases among young children.

"You don't have to wait for a CDC mandate to put on a mask," Walensky said. “We encourage all of these preventive measures — handwashing, staying home when sick, wearing masks, ventilating rooms — during the season of respiratory viruses, but especially in areas with high levels of COVID-19.”

Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and nearby Nassau and Suffolk counties have the highest levels of respiratory infections, with about 283 new infections per 100 residents, according to the CDC.

New hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 are overwhelmingly higher among unvaccinated people, according to the city's health department.

On the subject: Natural immunity vs vaccination: is it possible for those who have recovered not to be vaccinated against COVID-19

Meanwhile, all of New York's boroughs are seeing high levels of influenza and RSV activity, with hospitalizations resulting in a shortage of hospital beds in the city. The CDC said there have already been 4 flu deaths in the US this season, including 500 children.

Holidays and family get-togethers are approaching, which means that the level of infections can rise sharply.