Notes from the CDC to the White House justify the widespread use of non-medical masks

However, according to documents, masks were so widespread that they were not as culturally accepted in the United States as in many Asian countries, and that face covers reduced the spread of the virus.

The note was recently drafted CDC Sent to staff of the Ministry of Health and Human Services and the White House Coronavirus Control Headquarters to consider masks as an additional measure to delay the pandemic.

If adopted by the Coronavirus Headquarters, the recommendations would represent a major change in CDC’s official guidance that healthy people do not need masks or face covers. The note clarifies that the cover under consideration is not a medical mask. N95 mask Or surgical face masks are needed for frontline healthcare professionals and are very Supply shortage.

The Vice President’s office overseeing the Task Force did not immediately return a request for comment.

At a White House briefing on Tuesday, President Trump was asked about people using face covering. “I feel there is no harm in using scarves or the like,” he added, adding that he needed to reserve a medical mask for the hospital. “I’m going to do that. You won’t need to do it forever.”

According to the note, wearing a cloth mask in public places will be an additional community mitigation tool. Even if you are wearing a mask, a social distance of at least 6 feet is recommended. The notes emphasize that cloth facial masks are not intended to protect the wearer, but to help prevent the spread of the virus to others. A note dated Thursday stated that “people generate respiratory aerosols when speaking, coughing, or sneezing,” which nearby people may inhale.

And recent notes on Monday generally refer to increased evidence that people can spread the virus even when they feel good, often called presymptomatic and asymptomatic infections.

Last week’s CDC report on asymptomatic transmission of residents of a skilled nursing home in the Seattle area showed that out of 23 residents who tested positive for new coronaviruses, 13 were asymptomatic or pre-onset on the day of the study Was discovered.

Infectious disease experts have stated that asymptomatic infections may play a greater role in outbreaks than previously thought, but the magnitude remains unknown. Research is ongoing at the CDC and elsewhere to better understand such spreads.

One of the challenges is understanding what to call Cover face. In previous notes, one suggestion was to refer to it as a courtesy mask or universal source control.

The memo states that the face cover should extend above the nose and under the chin to “completely cover the mouth and nostrils”. It must also fit snugly on the side of the face and be secured with a tie or ear loop. It must also consist of multiple layers of fabric. According to the note, the ideal face cover can be machine washed and machine dried without damage or distorting the shape.

Deborah Burkes, the White House’s Coronavirus Response Coordinator, initially resisted the idea of ​​using universal masks because recommending face covers could undermine the message that people should stay home as much as possible. Did. On anonymous terms because he was not allowed to talk about the matter.

Individuals said Trump Advisor and his son-in-law Jared Kushner liked the idea of ​​promoting their face covers when people were in public.

Scientists have yet to agree whether the widespread use of such a cover will make a significant difference, and some infectious disease experts have reported that masks can mislead people into reassurance. And fears that discipline may be weakened. Avoid crowds.

Monday’s document suggested a promotional “tagline” that the government could use if the government generally recommended a face cover: “COVID ends with me”, “My mask protects you and you The mask protects me, “and” wears my mask to protect the community. ” “

According to a note dated Monday, the document stated that encouraging widespread use of face covers “may pose a challenge to the U.S. community because masks are not common.”

Nevertheless, “in many international communities, wearing masks in public is considered common and widely considered sanitary, protecting others from nausea that may infect the wearer. Is considered a joint gesture to do. “