Everyone wear a cloth face mask in public places recommends CDC

Written By :  Dr. Kamal Kant Kohli
Published On 2020-04-05 01:40 GMT   |   Update On 2020-04-05 01:40 GMT
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CDC has issued new recommendation that everyone should wear a cloth face mask covering when out in public places to protect others in case they are unknowingly infected with the virus.

The agency has updated its guidance for prevention from Covid 19 and the new advice is hereunder-

Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others

You could spread COVID-19 to others even if you do not feel sick.

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Everyone should wear a cloth face cover when they have to go out in public, for example to the grocery store or to pick up other necessities.

Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

The cloth face cover is meant to protect other people in case you are infected.

Do NOT use a facemask meant for a healthcare worker.

Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing.

Cover coughs and sneezes

If you are in a private setting and do not have on your cloth face covering, remember to always cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow.

Throw used tissues in the trash.

Immediately wash your hands with soap and w toater for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Researchers have reported recently that the coronavirus could be spread through normal breathing and speech. Large droplets remain one method of transmission, when they are inhaled by a person nearby or through contact with a contaminated surface and later touching one's face. However, researchers noted that tiny particles in the air can also carry the virus.

Previous studies have shown that coronavirus and other respiratory infections are mostly spread during close contact, which has been interpreted by some infectious disease specialists to mean that the disease could spread only through contact and large droplets, such as from a cough or sneeze--a message that has often been shared with the public.

"What they don't understand is that is merely a hypothesis," Milton said. The current study (along with earlier ones) shows, by contrast, that tiny, aerosolized droplets can indeed diffuse through the air. That means it may be possible to contract COVID-19 not only by being coughed on, but by simply inhaling the breath of someone nearby who has it, whether they have symptoms or not. Surgical masks, however, catch a lot of the aerosolized virus as it's exhaled, he said.

Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, recommended last weekend that "everyone, including people without symptoms, should be encouraged to wear nonmedical fabric face masks while in public."

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Article Source : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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