Doctor warns 'tridemic' could get worse if masks mandated again
NYC and LA County encourage masking up indoors as the 'tridemic' gets worse
FOX Business' Madison Alworth joins 'Varney & Co.' to discuss how New York City and L.A. County are beginning to recommend indoor masking in public places.
A New York City doctor is warning that bringing back mask mandates — especially for kids — could make the "tridemic" worse.
"These kids were raised in a bubble. They have no immunity to any common cold. They are getting so sick and they are getting sick back to back to back," Dr. Dyan Hes of Gramercy Pediatrics said to FOX Business' Madison Alworth. "So what's going to happen when you remask them? They'll go back in their bubble."
Her comments come as health officials in some states call to mask up indoors as the number of "tridemic" flu, RSV and COVID cases ramp up.
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"The holiday season is about togetherness and there is a way to gather safely — even as respiratory viruses in our city are unusually high," said New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan in a recent press release. "It starts with protecting yourself. Vaccination and boosters are critical, but so are common sense precautions like masking when indoors or among crowds and staying home if you don’t feel well."
New York City shoppers wear masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Noam Galai/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Across the nation, the County of Los Angeles declared, "Now is the time to mask!"
"L.A. County is experiencing high rates of COVID-19, flu and RSV. These three respiratory illnesses can all cause severe illness. We ask that everyone ages 2 and older wear a mask in indoor public spaces. This includes transit, retail, event venues, school, and worksites when around others," the county's health department wrote on its website.
However, for some, masking is not a recommendation. The Philadelphia Public School System is mandating masks for two weeks following winter break. The New York college SUNY Purchase is doing the same.
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Businesses are also weighing in. In response to a potential mask mandate, the manager of one iconic New York City bakery who struggled through the pandemic said they "would not follow."
"Doing business in New York City is difficult in itself — adding another layer to us and adding another layer to the customer is at this point very ridiculous," Pasticceria Rocco manager Mary Josephine Generoso said.
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Alworth reported that doctors are particularly concerned with mask mandates for small children because it inhibits their ability to properly develop social cognition skills. Some doctors also argue that masks interfere with kids' ability to read lips, read facial expressions and socially interact with their peers.
Dr. Marc Siegel, during an appearance on FOX Business' "Varney & Co.," said the government should not be forcing mandates on anyone — particularly young children.
Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel reacts to the CDC encouraging people to wear masks to help prevent the spread of COVID, flu and RSV over the holidays on 'Varney & Co.'
"People are fatigued. They're not going to wear them. And the more they're scolded or talked down to or criticized, the less they're going to do them," he said. "Don't force them on young children, don't interfere with learning and socialization."
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