The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is encouraging all U.S. residents to resume wearing high-quality, well-fitting masks in public, as 44 states report “very high” rates of influenza. This week, hospitalizations from influenza hit a 10-year high for this point in the flu season. Rates of RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, are also high in many regions, and U.S. hospitalizations from COVID-19 are once again climbing. In Illinois, 12 counties are recommending masks in public after reporting “high” levels of community spread, while in California, Los Angeles County officials are poised to restore a mask mandate after COVID cases reached their highest levels since August.