On Friday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that citizens should wear “non-medical, cloth masks” to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Previously, the CDC had recommended that only those with Covid-19 symptoms wear masks. The agency now recommends that those who aren’t feeling sick should still wear a mask, though compliance is voluntary.
In a statement on its website, the CDC says: “Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.” The word “additional” is key here; sheltering in place is still the most effective way to protect yourself and those in your community, and the agency recommends maintaining 6-fot social distancing as the primary method of reducing exposure.
This new policy comes on the heels of new research about how the virus is transmitted, and with cases on the rise across the US, there’s some evidence that people who aren’t showing any symptoms can still be spreading the virus as they move about in public.
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This week, cities like New York and Los Angeles have also recommended that all residents wear face coverings in public, whether they’re showing signs of sickness or not. Specific guidance has been issued for Los Angeles (and California as a whole) and New York City.
These policy recommendations are happening at a time when surgical face masks and N95 masks are already in critically short supply. This scarcity of protective equipment has been devastating for health care workers busy treating patients, and many fear that a nationwide decree to wear a mask could strain supplies even more.
If you live in a community where masks are recommended, or if you are caring for a loved one who’s currently sick, you should make your own mask. Do not buy N95 masks, and absolutely do not hoard sup