Should I wear a mask at home? WHO updates guidance

Masks have been part of our culture since April, but during the coronavirus pandemic, there seems to be little more embarrassing to Americans than when and where they need to be worn. ..Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Discouraged at first Widespread use of them — Americans recommend for months Please wear a mask “In public”, especially “when you are around people who do not live in your household”.

Currently, the World Health Organization publishes the latest guidance on the use of face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Obviously, masks need to be worn frequently. “WHO advises the general public to wear non-medical masks indoors (stores, shared workplaces, schools, etc.) or outdoors, at least physically separated. [3.2 feet] Can’t be maintained ” guidance To tell.

The organization also states that people need to wear masks indoors. “Unless ventilation is evaluated as appropriate … at least regardless of physical distance [3.2 feet] Can be maintained. “

Guidance is for people whose masks are at high risk of serious complications from COVID-19, namely individuals over the age of 60, with underlying illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, chronic lung disease, cancer, cerebrovascular disease, and immunosuppression. It emphasizes that it is especially important to people.These people “must wear a medical mask, at least when they are physically separated. [3.2 feet] It cannot be maintained, “said the guidance.

This is not the first time public health professionals have recommended continuous masking indoors. Back in August, Dr. Deborah Birx Interview with CNN People who live in COVID-19 hotspots, or who live with high-risk people, should consider wearing a mask in their living space. “If you’re in a multi-generational household and you have an outbreak in your countryside or in your city, you really need to consider wearing a mask at home,” Birx said.

Dr. Amesh A. Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health and Security, told Yahoo Life that WHO recommendations make sense based on what scientists currently know about COVID-19 and its spread. It was. “There will be some risk if you are in a place that does not benefit from the outdoor breeze that disperses the particles,” he says. “If people are six feet apart, many can dissipate, but there are situations in which the virus can spread beyond that distance.”

Dr. Saskia Popesque, an epidemiologist at George Mason University, said ventilation is an important factor in preventing the spread of viruses that are often blocked indoors. “The promotion of masks indoors has always been focused on crowded areas and environments with other people,” Popescu told Yahoo Life in a previous interview. “Recently, the importance of indoor masking for ventilation has recurred. Even if you can be socially distant, masking is important when you are around, and ventilation can be inadequate. “

Popescu said early recommendations for maintaining a safe distance between individuals may have convinced people that “as long as you stick to a distance of 6 feet, you can remove the mask.” But that’s not true. “When I left home, I think I was initially focused on masks and social distance. It gave the impression that if you could maintain social distance, you wouldn’t need a mask for some reason.” She says. “In fact, communication is the use of social distance, hand hygiene, and masking as a team approach to avoiding infection.”

Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, has agreed and approved wearing a mask at home. “The obvious value is to provide additional protection to the elderly and people with serious underlying illnesses, extending the protection that was being watched outdoors to the actual home,” says Schaffner. I will. “And do it for a long time, where there is much more frequent and closer contact.”

However, risk tolerance is important, says Adalja. “For those who hate risk, it may make sense to wear a mask around those who are vulnerable at home,” he says. “Some people may also feel more comfortable wearing masks around them.” This practice may also be suitable for households, including people with different risk tolerances. This is especially true if some members of the household are out on a regular basis and are not strict in following the CDC guidelines, while others are more cautious.

The CDC makes it clear The mask is effective “By helping prevent the spread of the virus by preventing it.[ing] When a person wearing a mask coughs, sneezes, speaks, or raises a voice, respiratory droplets are transmitted to the air and others. It is a claim supported by multiple studies showing that universal mask wearing is possible as well. Slow community infection, But Stop completely..

Wearing a mask is especially important around people who are in a condition that can weaken their immune system and are at risk of more serious illness due to COVID-19. According to the CDCThe list includes people who have cancer, who have had a bone marrow or solid organ transplant, who are taking immunosuppressive drugs, or who are infected with HIV. In an interview with CNN, Birx added that individuals living in households with comorbidities such as high blood pressure and obesity should also consider wearing a mask.

For those who meet these criteria, or who live in a rapidly expanding community, it may make sense to wear a mask at home. But Dr. Angela Rasmusen, a virologist at Columbia University, is skeptical about whether that will happen. “I think it makes sense to ask to wear a mask when you’re at home with a high-risk person, but this isn’t possible when eating, drinking, bathing, or grooming. In some cases, “he said. Rasmussen. “But I think it’s unlikely that many people will adopt these precautions, especially in states with leadership that is very generally very opposed to masks. Wearing masks in grocery stores Those who are categorically opposed will probably not be persuaded to always wear a mask in their home. “

Dr. Richard Watkins, an infectious disease specialist in Akron, Ohio, and a professor of internal medicine at Northeastern Ohio Medical College, told Yahoo Life that he should be careful to wear masks at other people’s homes. I’m talking. “Getting people to wear masks in their own homes is probably an overkill bridge,” he says.

Schaffner agrees, but believes that the recommendations may have a “spectrum of compliance.” That is, those who are more “conservative” about protection may adopt guidance, and those who resist mask obligations and other recommendations may not. “It’s a new idea that people have to think about it,” says Schaffner. “Sure, it won’t spread that quickly.”

The story was originally published on August 8, 2020 at 6:31 pm EST and has been updated to include the latest guidance on World Health Organization masks.

for Latest Coronavirus News and Updates,follow me https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus.. According to experts, people over the age of 60 and people with immunodeficiency continue to be at greatest risk. If you have any questions, CDC‘sand Whose Resource guide.

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