(Camden, NJ) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidance related to masks and face coverings, now suggesting that masks protect the wearer as well as those around them. In a scientific brief on masks and controlling the spread of COVID-19, the CDC says that new evidence supports the conclusion that masks reduce the inhalation of virus-laden droplets by the wearer.
“The findings cited by the CDC could prove pivotal in the fight against this pandemic,” said Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. “Wearing a mask has largely been associated with protecting others in the event that you are unknowingly transmitting the virus, but we are increasingly learning that wearing a mask also reduces your chances of inhaling droplets in the air that carry the virus. If everyone wears a mask around others, we can reduce an extraordinary amount of the spread that’s taking place.”
In the brief, the CDC concludes that universal mask policies could help avert future lockdowns, especially if combined with social distancing, hand hygiene, and adequate ventilation in indoor spaces.
You can read the full updated guidance and findings here.