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Means to combat changing virus remain the same
Evan Axelbank reports
TAMPA, Fla. - Doctors are confident that the new COVID-19 variant is no more effective at getting through cloth masks as the original strain of the virus.
"If the wall is made out of wood, or concrete, you still can't get through it," said USF virologist Dr. Michael Teng.
While it may take a smaller amount of the virus to cause an infection, it does not appear to be any better at getting through masks when worn by a virus carrier.
"All masks are basically the same efficacy against the new variants as they are against the virus itself," said Teng.
MORE: DeSantis calls on federal government to send more COVID-19 vaccine doses to Florida
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Governor asks for more vaccines
At a White House briefing, press secretary Jen Psaki pushed back against DeSantis' comments criticizing the federal government, saying Florida has only administered about half of the vaccines it has been given.
The CDC said Friday there have been 50 known cases of the variant in Florida, the second-most in the country.
While the type of mask you wear may not change how much virus can get through, wearing two could help prevent virus from getting around it.
"There might be gaps on the sides," said Virginia Tech environmental engineer Linsey Mann. "If you use a tight-fitting cloth mask, it will secure down the edges of the surgical mask so there are no leaks."
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Healthcare workers going to the Super Bowl
7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers from the Tampa Bay area have been invited to the Super Bowl. It doesn't make right their sacrifices, but it's a way for the NFL to give them something to look forward to.