Worry less about face masks, and more about washing your hands.
Though health officials have warned Americans to prepare for the spread of the novel coronavirus in the U.S., people shouldn’t wear face masks to prevent the spread of infectious illnesss, according to both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services.
“The virus is not spreading in the general community,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the Center for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said in a Jan. 30 briefing. “We don’t routinely recommend the use of face masks by the public to prevent respiratory illness. And we certainly are not recommending that at this time for this new virus.”
See also: Alpha Pro Tech’s stock rockets as coronavirus outbreak leads to a big spike in face mask orders To protect against a mask shortage, Home Depot HD, -3.07% HD, -3.07% HD, -3.07% HD, -3.07% HD, -3.07% has “limited purchase quantity to 10 [masks] per person to best serve as many customers as possible,” said Margaret Smith, a Home Depot spokeswoman. “Our merchandising and supply chain teams are working hard to replenish these items as quickly as possible.”
Panic-driven demand for face masks, Adalja said, is particularly worrisome because it could have “a negative supply shock” effect on hospital personnel who need these masks more than the general public.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Explainer: How long can coronavirus survive on surfaces?As a new coronavirus spreads quickly around the world, U.S. health officials say...
Read more »
Main focus for preventing coronavirus spread should be hand hygiene, not face masksFrequent hand-washing, not wearing a face mask, is the most important step the public can take to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the WHO says.
Read more »
WHO raises global risk for coronavirus to 'very high,' declines pandemic labelA World Health Organization official says it would be unhelpful to declare the coronavirus a pandemic.
Read more »
Masks Run Short as Coronavirus SpreadsHospitals and public-health officials in the U.S. and Europe are rationing medical masks and scrounging for more, as they prepare for a potential widening of the coronavirus epidemic.
Read more »
South Korea takes new measures to have enough face masks domestically amid coronavirusSouth Korean government implements draconian measures to secure and distribute face masks to the public amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
Read more »
Coronavirus Rule: Don’t Touch Your Face!One of the CDC-recommended precautions against coronavirus, or COVID-19, is to avoid touching your face, but there’s one problem
Read more »