Coronavirus: CDC Expected To Urge All Americans To Wear Face Coverings In Public
Should all Americans be
wearing face masks while in public? This is a
question that the United States government is reviewing in the wake of
the COVID-19 outbreak.
There is a pro-mask movement that is currently taking place on a grassroots level, as well. However, there is no consensus on the matter and no one knows if masks are going to make a discernible difference.
Infectious
disease experts worry that masks could create a false sense of complacency that
would cause people to stop following social distancing guidelines.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials are considering altering their official guidelines now. CDC officials might decide to encourage Americans to cover their faces during the coronavirus pandemic. A federal official confirmed this development, although they were speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The matter is still being
discussed internally and nothing has been finalized at the current moment. If new guidance is offered, the public will be
encouraged to wear different face masks than those that are needed by
healthcare workers. N95 masks and
surgical masks are in short supply and should not be worn by the general American
public.
CDC officials are considering offering a recommendation of wearing “do it yourself” cloth coverings, such as a bandana.
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According to one CDC
official, personal masks would be a great way to help America flatten the curve
and mitigate the spread of coronavirus. If an individual who has COVID-19 wears a
mask while in public, their chances of transmitting the virus to others are
significantly lessened.
According to current CDC guidelines, healthy Americans do not need to wear any sort of face-covering or mask. However, these guidelines may soon change.
During Monday’s White House coronavirus briefing, President Trump was asked about the idea of the CDC recommending that all Americans should wear face coverings while in public. President Trump said he thinks that the recommendation is being discussed. If this policy is put into place, he does not see it lasting for a significant period of time, though.
According to Thomas Inglesby, Director at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Homemade masks reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. In a recent interview, Inglesby said that the CDC should be doing everything in its power to urge people to cover their faces. He said it’s a prudent step that everyone can take that will reduce transmissions of the virus as there are potentially millions of people who are infected and have little to no symptoms.
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Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner, is also at the forefront of the mask debate. Gottlieb serves in the Trump Administration as the lead author for a response plan to the pandemic. In Gottlieb’s plan, which was published by the American Enterprise Institute, the general public is encouraged to cover their faces when they are outside during the initial phase of widespread community transmission.
Gottlieb got much more
specific about the matter during his Sunday appearance on CBS’ “Meet The Press.”
He believes that the CDC should be
putting out guidelines on how Americans can develop their own masks at home.
Surgical masks need to be kept available for healthcare workers and those who are on the front lines with increased exposure to COVID-19 patients. With limited surgical and N95 masks available, Americans may need to start making their own face coverings out of bandanas or other household items.
