Here's what we know The current advice on what homemade face coverings do, how to wear them and how they can and can't help you prevent COVID-19 compared to N95 masks. Homemade masks like these are now a household good. For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website. Face masks that you make at home or buy online are quickly becoming commonplace, as the belief that nonmedical face coverings provide a degree of protection against acquiring the coronavirus grows. Covering your face and mouth in public places is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In some cities and states, wearing a face mask in public places is even mandatory. Why have attitudes changed so quickly, and what can nonmedical face masks and face coverings actually do to help? Is it recommended to wear masks any time you go outside, or only in some places? Will you have to wear face masks even when lockdown lifts and cities reopen? We don't have answers to every question. But with the coronavirus claiming over 2.7 million cases and over 193,000 deaths worldwide, people are turning to homemade masks in an attempt to slow the spread of the COVID-19 disease. Nonmedical masks aren't considered as effective at blocking small particles as the hard-to-get N95 respirator masks needed by the medical community, but their advantage is that homemade face masks are readily available and can help block the larger particles ejected through talking, coughing, spitting and sneezing. This article updates frequently, as advice and information about homemade masks and the coronavirus continue to evolve. It's intended as a resource to help you understand the current situation as presented by organizations such as the CDC and American Lung Association, but shouldn't serve as medical advice. Face coverings come in all shapes and sizes. Why urge homemade, nonmedical face masks now? For months, the CDC recommended medical-grade face masks for people who were presumed to be or confirmed to be ill with COVID-19, as well as for medical care workers. But spiking cases across the US and especially in hotspots like New York, Rhode Island, Michigan, Louisiana and Arizona have proven that current measures haven't been strong enough to flatten the curve. There's also data that there may be some benefit to wearing a homemade mask in crowded places like the supermarket, versus no face covering at all. Social distancing and hand-washing are still paramount (more below). Earlier this month, American Lung Association Chief Medical Officer Dr. Albert Rizzo said this in an emailed statement: The wearing of the masks by all individuals can give some degree of barrier protection from respiratory droplets that are coughed or sneezed around them. Early reports show that the virus can live in droplets in the air for up to one to three hours after an infected individual has left an area. Covering your face will help prevent these droplets from getting into the air and infecting others. Homemade masks may help protect others from you According to the American Lung Association, one in four people infected with COVID-19 might show mild symptoms or none at all. Using a cloth face covering when you're around others can help block large particles that you might eject through a cough, sneeze or unintentionally launched saliva (e.g., through speaking), which could slow the spread of transmission to others if you don't know you're sick. "These types of masks are not intended to protect the wearer, but to protect against the unintended transmission -- in case you are an asymptomatic carrier of the coronavirus," the American Lung Association says in a blog post that discusses wearing homemade masks (emphasis ours). What the CDC says about homemade face masks today The most important takeaway from the CDC's message is that covering your face when you leave the house is a "voluntary public health measure" and must not replace proven precautions like self-quarantine at home, social distancing and thoroughly washing your hands. The CDC is the US authority on protocols and protections against COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. In the CDC's words, it "recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g. grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission." (The emphasis is the CDC's.) The institute says not to seek out medical or surgical-grade masks for yourself and to leave N95 respirator masks to health care workers, opting instead for basic cloth or fabric coverings that can be washed and reused. Previously, the agency considered homemade face masks a last resort in hospitals and medical facilities. Keep reading for more on the CDC's original stance on homemade masks. The right way to wear a face covering or cloth face mask The most important thing is to cover your entire nose and mouth, which means that the face mask should fit underneath your chin. The covering will be less effective if you remove it from your face when you're in a crowded store, like to speak to someone. For example, it's better to adjust your covering before you leave your car, rather than while waiting in line at the supermarket. Read on for why fit is so important. Can you reuse your face mask? Homemade masks and coverings made from cloth fabric are machine-washable. Medical-grade masks ideally are single-use, though in certain hospital environments, the severe shortage of N95 masks is making procedural exceptions a necessity. Here's what you need to know about mask cleaning and reuse. The FDA has developed an emergency protocol for medical institutions to sterilize N95 masks -- for hospitals and medical facilities only. The great face mask debate For weeks, a debate has raged over whether homemade face masks should be used in hospital settings and also by individuals in public. It comes at a time when the available stock of certified N95 respirator masks -- the essential protective equipment used by health care workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic -- has reached critical lows. In a medical setting, handmade masks aren't scientifically proven to be as effective at protecting you from the coronavirus. Why not? The answer comes down to the way N95 masks are made, certified and worn. It may not matter if care centers are forced to take a "better than nothing" approach. If you do have a supply of N95 masks on hand, consider donating them to a health care facility or hospital near you. Here's how to donate hand sanitizer and protective equipment to hospitals in need -- and why you should also refrain from making your own hand sanitizer. Source
