Masks have stopped disease spread for centuries; here's why they may catch on in the US
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More than a year into a pandemic that has sickened tens of millions of people and killed more than 500,000 in the United States, most people are eager to reclaim some semblance of their former lives.
About half of the country has received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccines authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration. Infection rates are dropping. And federal health authorities have relaxed mask recommendations for people who are fully vaccinated against the virus.
But it's unclear what our new normal will look like and whether, at least in some form, it will include face coverings — which have been shown to not only help protect against the coronavirus, but also, with additional measures such as social-distancing, slow the spread of influenza and other respiratory diseases.