The CDC recommends the widespread use of face masks. Even in the spring, some experts claimed that they should only be worn by patients

There are new recommendations from the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Experts confirm: “Face masks reduce viral transmission by up to 79 percent.”

1. It is best to wear at least two or even three-layer masks, ”American experts recommend
2. The CDC is expanding its recommendations: even self-made masks provide better protection than none
3. You should avoid handkerchiefs or turtlenecks worn over the face, “unless this is the only available protection at the moment”
4. You can find more about the coronavirus on the TvoiLokony home page

Since the beginning of the pandemic, experts say: wearing face masks prevents the transmission of the coronavirus. Today they confirm this, although it is worth remembering that still this spring some of them believed that they should be worn only by sick people.

There is evidence that wearing a mask lowers the risk of infection

Protective masks reduce the transmission of the virus to 79 percent, and when everyone uses face shields in confined spaces, the risk is even lower, according to research conducted, among others, by in the USA, Germany and Great Britain.

New guidelines published on the website of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also confirm that face masks significantly “reduce the risk of primary or secondary infection.” This means that masks should be worn not only by sick people, but also by healthy people.

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Self-sewn better than none

“It’s best to wear at least two or even three-layer masks,” CDC experts recommend today.

They recommend avoiding all kinds of headscarves and turtlenecks worn over the face, “unless this is the only protection available at the moment”. The reason is simple: research has shown that this type of protection against the virus is the least effective.

But the latest results from CDC research show something else: even self-made masks can protect more effectively than previously thought. At the same time, they recommend performing the simplest test: it is enough to look at the mask against the light. “If the outline of the individual fibers is visible, the mask is unlikely to be effective,” experts say.

Wash and replace filters

They also emphasize that the effectiveness of reusable masks is ensured by proper hygiene. “They need to be washed daily with hot water and soap. You shouldn’t put them on until they’re dry, because it’s harder to breathe through wet fabric.

And if someone uses a filter mask, they must remember to replace them regularly.

Currently, medical protective masks are the most popular. Among them, there are surgical masks and filtering half masks.

Learn more about the effectiveness of the masks:

1. Types of protective masks. Which Best Protects Against Coronavirus?
2. How do masks protect and how do face shields protect? The research results give food for thought
3. Which masks are the most effective? Ranking
4. How to convince a skeptic to wear a mask? Ask him one question
5. Why should everyone wear face masks? Scientists explain

The new guidelines, apart from the level of filtration, pay attention to the correct fit of the masks. They should rest on the bridge of the nose, close to the chin and cheeks, and cover the skin.

This is important because thanks to this application, “the exhaled air does not escape to the sides”.

The CDC expands its recommendations and suggests that even self-made masks provide better protection than none. And although minimally, they reduce the risk of virus transmission.

The recommendations also include one that concerns taxi driving. In such cases, both the passenger and the driver should be equipped with masks. Additional protection is provided by the lowering of the car windows, even in unfavorable weather.

“All you need to do is slightly open the windows to prevent infection,” write CDC experts.

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Carry a disinfectant with you

Regardless of the type of mask you wear, sometimes you have to take it off. If only to drink or eat something. And this makes a hand sanitizer or gel an indispensable companion for face protection.

“The masks come off all the time, especially when talking,” notes Professor Henry Wu, an infectious disease specialist at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. “You have to correct their position. So it’s important to have a disinfectant with you when we need to fix it.

Read also:

1. The masks help build immunity to the coronavirus and alleviate the symptoms of the disease
2. How much virus is in the “cough cloud”? This is another proof that masks are worth wearing
3. During the Spanish epidemic, people refused to wear face masks. How did it end?