The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has officially updated recommendations for the use of masks, after the US was attacked by Omicron. New cases had touched 1 million cases, the highest record in the world.
Therefore, the CDC urges residents to consistently use the type of mask that is most effective against COVID-19 and ensure that there is not the slightest opening for Omicron to enter. The CDC recommends using N95 masks, the type of masks that experts judge to provide the highest protection.
“Fabric masks are nothing more than facial decorations. Omicrons can stay in,” explains CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and visiting professor of health policy and management at George Washington University’s Milken Institute Public School.
“You have to wear a KN95 or N95 mask,” he continued, while emphasizing the discipline of using masks in crowded places.
N95 and KN95 masks are effective at filtering smaller particles into the nose and mouth because they have certain materials, such as polypropylene fibers that act as mechanical and electrostatic barriers.
Why is it only recommended now?
The supply of N95 masks is now more widely available than in the early years of the pandemic. Unlike the limited number of personal protective equipment at the beginning of the outbreak, the use of masks is prioritized for health workers because they are more at risk of exposure.
Erin Bromage, professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts explains the difference in the effectiveness of cloth masks and N95 masks.
Cloth masks have a 75 percent potential to ‘leak’ filtering viruses in and out. While N95 masks can filter droplets or virus particles that spread in the air up to 95 percent.
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