Shutterstock
The public continues to receive mixed messages on masks from experts, with top US epidemiologist Dr. Anthony Fauci favoring a national mask mandate; plus, what you must know about new CDC guidelines on masks.
America’s top infectious disease expert and member of the White House coronavirus task force, Dr. Anthony Fauci, indicated this week that he is in favor of a national mandate that would require all Americans to wear masks.
On Thursday evening, Dr. Fauci was interviewed by actor Matthew McConaughey, Fox News reports. McConaughey won an Oscar for his performance in the Dallas Buyers Club, a movie based on the true story of a man trying to get medication for AIDS patients.
McConaughey asked Fauci if there should be a nationwide mask mandate.
“You make a really good point that is the subject of a lot of debate,” Fauci replied. “My recommendation, as you probably know because I’ve said it publicly so many times, is that absolutely we should have universal wearing of masks.”
In the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak, “experts” told the masses that mask weren’t of much help to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Then it changed…
The next thing that public was told was that the strongest protection from coronavirus was to be had through masks that had vents or valves, such as the N95 mask made by 3M. At that point, retail sold out, and from that moment forward, availability became zero.
Medical-grade protective masks, especially those with vents and valves became a restricted purchase, made available only for acquisition by medical personnel/organizations. The point of this was to ensure that hospitals and frontline medical workers had personal protective equipment (PPE).
Now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is once again changing its guidelines. The CDC is now telling us that masks with vents or valves don’t reduce the spread of the virus.
While vents or valves help the wearer of the mask breathe easier, the CDC says these components in the mask can deposit more “expelled respiratory droplets that can reach others,” Daily Wire reports.
According to the CDC: “Masks with exhalation valves or vents should NOT be worn to help prevent the person wearing the mask from spreading COVID-19 to others (source control).”
Here’s the important thing you need to know about these masks…
Valve and vent masks, such as 3M’s N95, DO offer superior protection for the WEARER.
The point the CDC is making is that the guidelines now are focused on wearing a mask to prevent spreading the disease to OTHERS.
In other words, if everyone is wearing masks not to protect themselves, but to prevent from spreading germs to others – then no germs get spread. This is why the CDC wants everyone wearing masks that are better at preventing germs from being transmitted outward.
While wearing a less-protective mask for yourself might sound worrisome, if everyone is wearing a mask that prevents germs from being spread outward, then transmission stops.
In theory, what the CDC is aiming for works. However, the approach breaks down if everyone isn’t wearing a mask.
That leaves us with the biggest fly in this ointment – all those people who are not wearing or refuse to wear ANY type of mask at all.
If that’s the case, then logically, it’s important that your mask protect you. If you are surrounded by people who are not wearing masks, then you probably want the strongest protection for yourself you can get, and that brings you back to N95 masks and similar that offer the highest level of protection and filtration for the wearer.
