Photo: ATRICK T. FALLON / AFP / Getty Images
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance on face masks on Friday and said that masks N95 provide the greatest protection against COVID-19.
The CDC has recognized that cloth face coverings used frequently in the United States do not offer as much protection as surgical masks or respirators.
While this disparity is widely known to the public Overall, the update marks the first time the CDC has explicitly addressed the differences .
CDC also removed concerns about mask shortages N95 normal for health workers.
At the beginning of the pandemic, the CDC advised against N95 masks because it was feared that there would not be enough for health workers if the general public were looking for them.
Change occurs as coronavirus infections with the highly contagious Omicron variant continue to rise.
The update comes days after Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said the website “needs to be updated right now” to explain the “different levels of protection that different masks provide.”
The CDC said that masks N 95 and KN95 provide the best protection due to their “filtering facepiece respirators”.
“When used consistently and properly, they provide the highest level of protection against particles, including the virus that causes COVID-19. Plus, they contain your droplets and respiratory particles so you don’t expose others,” the CDC said.
When placed correctly, the masks filter the 95 % of the particles. The CDC warns people who choose a KN95 mask to be careful, as the 60 % of KN masks95 that were sold in 2020 and 2021 were false.
The CDC has a guide to detect masks N 95 false. If the masks are too big, the CDC has a video that shows how they can fit a smaller face and make sure they fit properly.
The CDC says that cloth masks are the least protective, but the official recommendation for masks remains that any mask a person wears is better than none.
“We encourage all Americans to wear a well-fitting mask to protect themselves and prevent the spread of COVID 54,” Walensky said at a White House briefing on Wednesday. “And the recommendation is not going to change”.
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– Ómicron: the masks that offer the best protection against Covid-19
– Yes, you need to wear a better mask
– Joe Biden announces more free tests and military doctors before the Omicron variant