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Face masks are slowly creeping back into everyday life as concerns about a new strain of Covid and flu and RSV continue to spread.

Hundreds of thousands of students across the US will be forced to wear face coverings in class as schools begin to withdraw today as controversial mandates return.

Despite Covid infection numbers stagnating for months, elementary and middle schools in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania have made masks an admissions requirement for students returning from vacation.

And officials in New York City, Los Angeles and Washington have begun recommending indoor public use — but have stopped short of implementing executive mandates.

However, there is conflicting evidence as to whether face masks really reduce infection rates on a large scale.

And increasing research shows that mandates hinder children’s social development and education.

Paradoxically, masks, lockdowns and other Covid restrictions are thought to have robbed children of their essential immunity against other seasonal bugs such as flu and RSV, which may be why these mistakes are now causing such high infection rates and hospitalisations.

There are now increasing signs that other pandemic measures are beginning to backfire.

Last week, the US government announced that all passengers from China – which is battling a major outbreak – would be tested upon entry, although there is also no evidence that the policy is working.

There are now about 400,000 Covid cases a week in the US, compared to 4 million this time last year during the Omicron outbreak.

Weekly cases have been stable since late summer, a trend attributed to high levels of community immunity to vaccination and waves of infection.

But 22 states still recorded ‘very high’ flu activity in the week before Christmas – down from 26 the week before. Six states recorded the highest transmission rates, up from eight in early December.

The US flu season has come unusually early, although both the flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have cratered for the second week in a row just before Christmas, meaning America’s “trilemia” may soon come to an end.

The RSV is also several weeks before the flu crisis. The number of cases peaked in November, but the numbers remain very high. Both have resulted in hospitals, especially children’s hospitals, being overwhelmed.

Bacterial Strep A infection is also on the rise in children and has claimed the lives of at least two people in Colorado. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an urgent advisory about the infection before Christmas, updating doctors and public health officials on the situation.