Now there are suggestions thatmaybe all of us should be wearing masks.
If we do, homemade fabric masks could be a responsible choice that preserves medical-grade masks for medical professionals.
But do they work?
And is the habit of wearing them likely to do more harm than good?
The answer is: its complicated.
Lets take a look at them.
They each only look at a specific scenario and study it in one narrow way.
The authors concluded that homemade masks are imperfect but could provide some protection if worn by the general public.
Homemade masks didnt filter as well as surgical masks, and they didnt fit as well, either.
(Nobody in the study went entirely without masks.)
Some news outlets have been reporting that the CDC is considering changing their guidance to begin recommending them.
Zeynep Tufekci has argued thattelling people not to wear masks was a confusing message.
These facts arent actually in conflict, but it can seem that way.
Aswe wrote back in February, getting masks to healthcare professionals is top priority.
And thats exactly what happened.)
When there is a shortage of masks, its most important for healthcare workers to have them.
The rest of us can do without.
But theyre talking about medical-grade masks, and say nothing about the cloth kind.
Even if masks work,everything else you doaffects your chances of contracting or spreading illness as well.
When you take off the mask, you could get infectious particles on your hands.
And if somebody else handles the maskwhile doing laundry, for examplethey could be exposed as well.
Still, if youre going to wear a mask, you should know how to use it.
WHO advises:
Before putting on a mask, clean hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
Cover mouth and nose with mask and check that there are no gaps between your face and the mask.
Replace the mask with a new one as soon as it is damp and do not re-use single-use masks.
So lets make one thing clear: fabric masks arenotconsidered PPE.
They do not substitute for the actual N95 or surgical masks that hospital staff wear.
Caution should be exercised when considering this option.
Normally patients who are infectious may be asked to wear a mask as source control.
Another is is to use clear plastic face shields without a mask.
In other words, homemade masks for medical professionals are considered to bemaybebetter than nothing at all.
They are no replacement for respirators, or splashproof surgical masks, or even medical grade procedure masks.
But if things get dire enough, they may be used.
Who is using donated masks?
Charity crafting projects often spiral out of control, like thecall for penguin sweaters that was quickly answered.
The shortage of PPE is real, and of potentially life-or-death concern.
If you make masks, you are not making PPE.
In many hospitals, staff are issued one N95 mask per day and are expected to reuse it.
