When to wear masks as Covid cases rise, new variants emerge in the U.S.

An uptick in Covid cases and hospitalizations in the U.S., and the emergence of new variants of the virus, are prompting questions about whether Americans should start masking up again. 

One thing’s for sure: People infected with Covid should wear masks around others to prevent the spread of the virus. 

For those not infected, the decision to mask depends on a few things. That includes your personal risk level, Covid rates in your region and who you might make contact with, public health experts said.  

First and foremost, people at high risk of serious illness or death from Covid should consider wearing masks in crowded and public spaces, especially in poorly ventilated areas.

That applies to elderly adults and people with diabetes, cancer, HIV, a history of heart disease or stroke or other immunocompromising conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

“Anytime we’re seeing an uptick in cases, we should start with telling highly vulnerable populations that they should prepare for this and be a little bit more cognizant of the things they can do to protect themselves. And I think masking is one of them,” Andrew Pekosz, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told CNBC. 

That’s because Covid infections in people 65 and above and other high-risk groups are driving the increase in hospitalizations and deaths right now, according to Pekosz. 

The CDC said weekly new Covid hospitalizations in the U.S. jumped nearly 19% last week, a sixth straight week of increasing admissions. Newer Covid variants like the now-dominant EG.5, or “Eris,” and a handful of XBB strains have fueled the rise. All of those strains are descendants of the omicron variant.

New Covid shots from