US Now Suggesting People Wear Any Form of Masks, Even Cloth Masks; a U-Turn from Previous Suggestion

Reader: Aha I knew the experts were wrong!

Ok, before you start celebrating, I should say that it’s not what you thin-

Reader: My 360 boxes of face masks have come in handy after all!

Actually, it’s not for people who aren’t si-

Reader: And sure I may have lost $100,000 through sixteen face mask scams on Carousell, but it was worth it in the end because-

CAN YOU SHUT UP?

Reader: Geez, looks like someone is cranky because they didn’t stock up on face masks.

Like I said, dear reader, it’s not what you think. These masks are still for those who are sick.

US Now Suggesting People Wear Any Form of Masks, Even Cloth Masks; a U-Turn from Previous Suggestion

Previously, the US, like many other countries, told its citizens that only to wear masks if they are sick.

But, according to The Washington Post, the American government is about to release a public advisory urging Americans to wear cloth masks or face coverings in public to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

On Thursday, President Trump said at a coronavirus task force briefing that “a recommendation is coming out,” but “I don’t think it will be mandatory. If people want to wear them, they can.”

Vice President Pence says the new guidance would be released in “coming days.”

However, a White House official later said that this recommendation would be “narrowly targeted to areas with high community transmission” and that things were still being discussed.

But why are they changing their minds about the issue?

Transmission Without Symptoms

You see, this isn’t for healthy people, but for infected patients who are not experiencing symptoms. 

This could mean presymptomatic transmission, where the disease is spread from one individual to another before the first person starts showing any symptoms of the illness.

Or it could mean asymptomatic transmission, where you’re infected and can pass the virus to others even though you don’t have symptoms.

The White House has now changed its view on wearing face masks because of increasing evidence that infected people without symptoms can spread the virus.

A recent study in Singapore, for example, showed that at least 10 people got the coronavirus from those without symptoms.

Also, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report last week at a nursing facility in the Seattle area found that of 23 residents who tested positive for Covid-19, 13 were asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic on the day of testing.

According to internal memos and new guidance provided to the White House by the CDC, the CDC now recommends that the public uses cloth masks as an additional public health measure people can take to prevent the spread of virus to those around them.

But Why Cloth Masks?

Well, as you know, many countries, including the US, only have a limited amount of medical supplies.

This is why we were all told not to stockpile surgical masks; because healthcare workers need them the most, and are running out of supplies in many countries.

As a result, the CDC is expected to advise the public to use cloth masks, which can be made at home at a low cost.

U.S. officials might also distribute reusable cloth face masks to U.S. households, starting with locations hardest hit by Covid-19.

What’s even more startling is that the World Health Organization (WHO), which has never recommended masks for the general public, is also reconsidering this view.

An Extra Measure, But Could Backfire

With health officials all over the world trying to curb the spread of Covid-19 any way they can, this new advisory is just an additional measure to slow the pandemic.

However, just because we have a mask covering our faces, that doesn’t mean we should get complacent.

One White House coronavirus response coordinator warned that people should not get a false sense of security from wearing masks.

She emphasized they are no substitute for social distancing and frequent hand-washing. People need to continue to stay at least six feet away from other people, she said.

One should note, however, that neither WHO nor the US has made this recommendation just yet, and even if they do, it doesn’t mean we should freak out and panic buy face masks all over again.

Reader: But I already bought another thousand after reading the second paragraph

Of course you did. But, as always, it’s important not to panic. If the Singapore authorities genuinely felt that wearing masks would limit the spread of Covid-19, they would encourage it too.

For now, just continue to practise social distancing and good hygiene, and see a doctor if you’re unwell.