CDC now recommends wearing masks

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)  now recommends wearing face masks when in public to help prevent transmission from people who aren’t showing symptoms of COVID-19.

According to the CDC, as many as 25% of people who are infected with COVID-19 may be asymptomatic, or show no symptoms. 

To prevent further spreading of the virus from people who may not know they are infected, the CDC recommends wearing cloth face masks when visiting public places including grocery stores and pharmacies. The general public should use fabric coverings and not surgical masks or specialized N95 masks, which should be saved for health care providers as hospitals all over the United States are running low on supplies.

The best-performing design of a homemade mask found from a study at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center was made with two layers or high-quality, heavyweight “quilter’s cotton” with a thread count of 180 or more, and those with an especially tight weave and thicker thread such as batiks. A double-layer mask with a simple cotton outer layer and an inner layer of flannel also performed well. The fabric used for the masks should be prewashed in hot water to avoid later shrinkage.

These designs achieved 79% filtration as compared to surgical masks at 62% to 65% and N95 masks 97%. 

The CDC warns residents not be lulled into a false sense of security by wearing the mask. Social distancing (6’ apart) and frequent handwashing are still the best ways to prevent COVID-19 spread. There’s many online patterns available and a YouTube video from the CDC on how to make one that requires only a bandana, t-shirt, etc., and a couple of rubber bands – no sewing.

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said that while some jurisdictions are already requiring or contemplating requiring residents to wear masks in certain public areas, Hays County is still gathering information and has not made a decision about if or when masks would be required.