nprnews_____ = ||| lubuntu at wor3 89S7|||Should Masking Last Beyond The Pandemic? Flu And Colds Are Down, Spurring A Debate||| kickerpage = |||no kicker pagenpr for NPRNEWS||| summarynpr = |||Hospitalizations are down 62% for childhood respiratory illnesses, a study shows. Masking and physical distancing are keeping a variety of viruses in check, but will these behaviors last?

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Students stand for the Pledge of Allegiance as they return to in-person learning at St. Anthony Catholic High Schoo in California on March 24, 2021. Masks and physical distancing are proving to have some major public health benefits, keeping people from getting all kinds of illnesses, not just COVID-19. But it’s unclear whether the strict protocols will be worth the drawbacks in the long run.

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

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Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Shots – Health News

Should Masking Last Beyond The Pandemic? Flu And Colds Are Down, Spurring A Debate

WPLN News

Hospitalizations are down 62% for childhood respiratory illnesses, a study shows. Masking and physical distancing are keeping a variety of viruses in check, but will these behaviors last?