"Indoor mask removal, still dangerous... Low inoculation rate and spread still"

<Anchor> The

quarantine authorities have made it clear that they oppose this claim.

Corona is still there, and the vaccination rate is low, so it's still dangerous.

Jo Dong-chan is a medical reporter.

<Reporter> The

health authorities opposed the removal of masks indoors.

[Jeong Ki-seok/Corona 19 Special Response Team: If you take off the mask, it is obvious that infection will always occur.

As the infection increases, the number of critically ill patients and deaths tends to increase.]

It is dangerous because the vaccination rate of improved vaccines for corona high-risk groups, such as those in their 60s and older and residents of vulnerable facilities, is currently low at 22% and 30.1%.

[Jeong Ki-seok/Corona 19 Special Response Team: 50% of all citizens over the age of 60 are vaccinated with improved vaccines.

Then, more than 60% of residents and workers in vulnerable facilities must be vaccinated.]

Citizens' opinions are mixed.

[Heo Cho-rong/Agree with indoor mask maintenance: I wonder if I should still wear it on crowded streets in department stores or malls.]

[Jung Yu-jin/Against indoor mask maintenance: A lot of friends around me got sick, and the fatality rate isn't that high anymore...

.]

Mask policies vary from country to country, but the trend is to remove masks indoors.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated 27 countries, and 24 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, have eliminated mandatory masks in living facilities such as restaurants, marts, and schools, and only three countries, Taiwan and the Philippines, have maintained it.

However, all medical facilities are compulsory.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said that the abolition of mandatory indoor masks in each country was only for educational or economic reasons, and should be maintained to prevent corona19 infection.

A recent large-scale study from Oxford, UK, found that wearing masks indoors lowered the infection reproduction rate by 19%.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will collect public opinion through public discussions on the 15th and 26th.

(Video editing: Hwang Ji-young, CG: Hong Seong-yong·Choi Jae-young·Lee Jun-ho, VJ: Shin So-young)

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<Anchor>

Jo Dong-chan, a medical reporter, and more controversial issues.

[Cho Dong-chan/medical journalist (specialist): The pros and cons were tense, but first, I took the UK and the US as examples.

There is a commonality that it is an advanced state of health and took off indoor masks early.

If you look at the graph of average daily confirmed cases per week per 1 million people, even after taking off the mask, the United States and the United Kingdom remain at the lowest level since the corona pandemic, a quarter of Korea.

In the United States and the United Kingdom, there have been many people who have been infected, but the number of cumulative patients must increase to suppress the corona, and the effect of suppressing infection by wearing a mask is only temporary.

In the past two months, the number of new infections in Korea has increased, and the number of cumulative infections has increased compared to the UK.

It is the expert opinion of the pros that it is time for us to take off our clothes.]

[Cho Dong-chan/Medical reporter (specialist): This is because people over 60 and those with low immunity are still dying from Corona 19.

Looking at the graph of COVID-19 deaths per million people, the number of confirmed cases in the United States and the United Kingdom was lower than in Korea.

By the way, the death toll is the same.

The death of high-risk groups will continue unless the Corona 19 endemic, that is, the death of the high-risk group continues, and if you want to save even one more person, you must wear an indoor mask.]

[Cho Dong-chan/Medical reporter (specialist): When I go to a restaurant in a shopping mall, I take off my mask while eating, but when I finish eating, I wear a mask, but it doesn't fit.

It is difficult to design a mask policy perfectly scientifically, so many countries are subject to the people's autonomy.

However, decisions made by local governments and politicians without consultation with the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can shake the quarantine system itself, so I hope they have enough consultations.

First of all, since two public discussions are scheduled for this month, the indoor

mask issue is likely to be decided in some way here.]