New York, Jan 15 (AP) US health officials have encouraged more Americans to wear the kind of N95 or KN95 masks used by health workers to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Such masks are considered better at filtering viruses from the air. But they were previously in short supply, and officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they should be prioritized for health care workers.
In updated guidance posted Friday afternoon, CDC officials addressed concerns about supply shortages and said more clearly that properly fitted N95 and KN95 masks provide the most protection.
However, agency officials noted that some masks are harder to bear than others, and urged people to choose well-fitting masks that they would wear consistently.
The CDC has developed its own mask guidance during the pandemic.
In their last update, in September, CDC officials got more excited about disposable N95 masks, saying they could be used in certain situations when supplies are available. Examples include being around many people for long periods of time on a train, bus or airplane; taking care of someone in poor health; or being more vulnerable to serious illness.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden announced that his administration plans to make “high-quality masks,” including N95s, available for free. He said more details were coming next week. The White House said the federal government has a stockpile of more than 750 million N95 masks.
The latest CDC guidance notes that there is a special class of “surgical N95” masks, specifically designed for protection against blood spills and other operating room hazards. They are not generally available for sale to the public, and should be kept in reserve for health care workers, the agency said. (AP) IJT
(This story has been published as part of an auto-generated Syndicate wire feed. Headline or body have not been edited by ABP Live.)
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