Masks could be needed for months, Georgia expert says

ATLANTA - As scientists race to develop and test COVID-19 vaccines, public health microbiologist Amber Schmidtke says wearing masks could be a must well into 2021.    

"The reason why, is, it's not going to be an overnight fix, that boom, we've got a vaccine, everybody is immune," Schmidtke says. "It's going to take time to immunize enough people to achieve that herd immunity threshold."

"Herd immunity" is a term used to describe the point where enough Americans been exposed to the new coronavirus, it can no longer spread easily from one person to another.

To reach that point, and get control of the pandemic, some experts believe 60 to 70% of Americans would need to develop antibodies to the virus, which they could do either by getting infected or by getting vaccinated.

CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told US lawmakers this week we could have a very limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine as soon as November to December.

Redfield cautioned the US may not have a widely available vaccine until next spring or summer.

"I think he's trying to paint a very realistic picture so that people aren't disappointed if it doesn't roll out, if it's February and we're still without a vaccine, for example," Schmidtke says.

Once a vaccine is ready, Schmidtke says, she and her children plan to get it.

Still, she says, she wants the current vaccine candidates to make it through phase 3 clinical trials, the final step in the testing process.

"We want to make sure of two things: that they're safe, and that they work," Schmidtke explains. "So, when you see a word like 'efficacy' being thrown around, that's what it's describing: does it actually protect you from illness?"

We won't know, she says, until we give scientists enough time to thoroughly test the vaccines.

"I think it's important for everybody to remember this is a marathon, not a sprint, and we're still in the early stages," Schmidtke says.

For now, she is urging people to continue to take precautions to slow the spread of the virus. 

Schmidtke says wear a mask in public places, keep your distance from strangers, and, if you do want to socialize, meet friends and family outdoors rather than indoors.

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