Editor's note: Health officials' views onhave shifted as the outbreak spreads. On Friday, April 3, that the CDC now recommends Americans wear a "basic cloth or fabric mask," not a medical-grade mask, in public.
As fears over the coronavirus outbreak spread, thousands of Americans are clamoring to buy face masks in an effort to , sending and leading manufacturers like 3M to ramp up production. However, experts say stocking up on is actually misguided — and there's a much simpler thing you could be doing right now to protect yourself.
There's a lot the general public likely doesn't realize about these masks — namely, that they are not the best way to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Wearing a mask is more for people already showing symptoms of coronavirus and their caregivers than for people trying to prevent it
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it "does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19," referring to the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Rather, experts caution that putting on a face mask without proper fitting and training could actually increase your risk.
"If it's not fitted right, you're going to fumble with it," explained Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar before a House Appropriations subcommittee on Wednesday. "You're going to be touching your face, which is the No. 1 way you're going to get disease, is unclean hands touching your face."
On the other hand, if you are already coughing and showing symptoms of possible coronavirus illness, that's when wearing a mask could be helpful for protecting those around you.
"The data on the effectiveness of masks for preventing respiratory virus infections is not very clear, " explains Dr. Andrew Stanley Pekosz of Johns Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health. "The best data suggests that if you are ill and showing symptoms, wearing a mask can reduce the chances that you spread the virus to others."
Cloth surgical masks are not helpful
The common surgical mask you might be picturing in your head will not help you at all, Pekosz said.
A type called an N95 respirator mask, if properly fitted, can block large-particle droplets that may contain germs, but the FDA warns they cannot filter out "very small particles in the air that may be transmitted by coughs [or] sneezes."
"An N95 mask is the one that is most practical," Pekosz tells CBS News. "It stops 95% of particles of a certain size. ... There is a N99 mask, which blocks 99% of particles, but that mask is difficult to wear for long periods of time because it is hard to breathe through it."
Respirator masks are more expensive. The FDA also notes they are not designed to fit children or people with facial hair.
Even a good face mask isn't enough
"Masks shouldn't be considered to be the sole item that can protect you from infection, but it can be one of several things that can help you stay uninfected," said Pekosz.
"Wash your hands frequently. Practice social distancing — stay 5 feet away from people to avoid being close enough to be exposed to respiratory droplets from that person. More specific guidance will be given by the CDC soon, but those two things should be practiced by people on a daily basis to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses."
And he adds, "Get a flu shot — influenza has killed over 16,000 Americans this year and is still causing disease across the U.S."
You have to change masks every few hours
If you do go the mask route in spite of expert advice, it's important to note that face masks have a very specific lifespan. While there are some with longer lifespans or that have replaceable filters, the most common face masks on the market are disposable and single use. Each one of those is only good for a few hours.
"You want to change masks every few hours to make sure that they are functioning properly and aren't getting contaminated with virus particles on the outside," Pekosz tells CBS News. "It's not like putting one on protects you. One has to follow specific procedures to ensure you are using them effectively."
Buying face masks for personal use could cause a shortage at hospitals
"There is a limited supply of masks and while companies are increasing their production, demand is increasing at a very high rate," cautions Pekosz. "There will most likely be shortages of personal protective equipment at medical institutions and this may in part be driven by supplies being purchased by the general public. Emergency preparedness efforts will address supply chains, but there really is no reason for the general public to purchase large numbers of N95 masks."
The U.S. Surgeon General put it bluntly: "Seriously people — STOP BUYING MASKS!"
America's largest face mask manufacturer,, is a small business based in Texas with only 100 employees. And while they have no problem fulfilling America's normal demand for face masks and respirators, they are now struggling to keep up.
Mike Bowen, the company's executive vice president, told CBS News that they now field orders of up to 100 million face masks and respirators a day. He also noted that while the company does not ship its products internationally, in the last 30 days it has sold between 1 million and 2 million masks to buyers who then sent them to others in China and Hong Kong.
This huge spike in personal orders is precisely what experts fear will cause a dangerous inventory shortage in American hospitals — a shortage that is entirely avoidable, given that there are no proven benefits to the general public wearing masks.
The best way to prevent coronavirus: Wash your hands
Experts sayis the best way to prevent the spread of infectious illnesses like coronavirus. That's because one of the most common ways infections spread is when people touch a contaminated surface and then touch their mouth or nose.
Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly. CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook points out that it's especially important to make sure that you scrub the soap into your fingertips because they are simultaneously the part of the hand most often neglected and the part of the hand most likely to touch your face and spread disease.
Soap and water is far more effective than. If you're using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, you should make sure that it contains at least 60% alcohol.
Beyond that, the CDC advises that, whenever possible, you should also avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, avoid contact with sick people, cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze, and frequently.
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"Kumbuka: Maoni ya maafisa wa afya yamebadilika kadiri ugonjwa unavyoenea.""" "Kwa mujibu wa taarifa ya CDC, ""Wamarekani wanapaswa kuvaa kinyago cha msingi cha kitambaa au kitambaa, sio kinyago cha matibabu, hadharani.""" "Wakati hofu ya janga la coronavirus inaenea, maelfu ya Wamarekani wanalalamika kununua vinyago vya uso, na kuongoza wazalishaji kama vile 3M kuongeza uzalishaji.""" Hata hivyo, wataalamu wanasema kuhifadhi juu ni kweli misguided <unk> na kuna kitu rahisi sana unaweza kuwa kufanya sasa hivi ili kujikinga. Kuna mengi ambayo umma kwa ujumla haujui kuhusu vinyago hivi, yaani, kwamba sio njia bora ya kuzuia kuenea kwa coronavirus. "Watu ambao tayari wana dalili za virusi vya corona na walezi wao wanapaswa kuvaa kinyago, kulingana na Kituo cha Kudhibiti na Kuzuia Magonjwa, ""haipendekezi kwamba watu walio na afya nzuri kuvaa kinyago cha uso ili kujilinda dhidi ya magonjwa ya kupumua, pamoja na COVID-19.""" Wataalamu wanasema kwamba kuvaa kinyago bila kufaa na mafunzo sahihi inaweza kuongeza hatari. "Ikiwa haijapangwa vizuri, utachanganyikiwa nayo, ""alieleza Katibu wa Afya na Huduma za Binadamu Alex Azar mbele ya Kamati ya Chini ya Uwekezaji ya Bunge Jumatano." "Utakutana na mtu ambaye anaonekana kama anaugusa uso wake, na kwa hivyo, ""Hakuna.""" "Kama mtu anajaribu kuambukiza ugonjwa, ni lazima mikono isiyo safi iguse uso wake.""" Kwa upande mwingine, ikiwa tayari una kikohozi na una dalili za ugonjwa wa coronavirus, basi kuvaa kinyago kunaweza kusaidia kulinda wale walio karibu nawe. "Hakuna ushahidi wa kutosha kuhusu ufanisi wa vinyago vya baridi kuzuia maambukizi ya virusi vya kupumua, ""anaeleza Daktari Andrew Stanley Pecos, wa Shule ya Afya ya Umma ya Johns Hopkins." "Takwimu bora zinaonyesha kwamba ikiwa unaugua na unaonyesha dalili, kuvaa kinyago kunaweza kupunguza uwezekano wa kueneza virusi kwa wengine. """ "Kila mtu anaweza kutumia kinyago cha upasuaji cha kitambaa, lakini ""kinyago cha upasuaji cha kawaida ambacho unaweza kuwa ukiona kichwani hakitakusaidia hata kidogo,"" alisema Pekos." "Kama ni kweli, ""masks ya kupumua ya N95"" inaweza kuzuia matone makubwa ya chembe ambazo zinaweza kuwa na vijidudu, lakini FDA inahadhari kwamba haziwezi kuchuja chembe ndogo sana katika hewa ambazo zinaweza kupitishwa kwa kikohozi au kikohozi." "N95 mask ni moja ya masks bora zaidi ya kawaida, ""Pekosz alisema katika taarifa yake kwa CBS News." "Hii inazuia asilimia 95 ya chembe za ukubwa fulani.""" ... "Kuna kinyago cha N99 ambacho kinazuia asilimia 99 ya chembe za hewa, lakini ni vigumu kuvaa kwa muda mrefu kwa sababu ni vigumu kupumua kupitia kinyago hicho.""" Vifuniko vya kupumua ni vya bei ghali zaidi. FDA pia inabainisha kuwa sio iliyoundwa kwa watoto au watu wenye nywele za uso. "Hata kinyago kizuri cha uso hakitoshi, ""Masks haipaswi kuchukuliwa kuwa kitu pekee kinachoweza kukukinga na maambukizi, lakini inaweza kuwa moja ya vitu kadhaa vinavyoweza kukusaidia kukaa bila kuambukizwa,"" alisema Pekos." "Safisha mikono yako mara nyingi. Kuepuka kutembea umbali wa mita 5 kutoka kwa watu ili kuepuka kuwa karibu vya kutosha kufunuliwa kwa matone ya kupumua kutoka kwa mtu huyo. "Uongozi maalum zaidi utatolewa na CDC hivi karibuni, lakini mambo hayo mawili yanapaswa kutekelezwa na watu kila siku ili kupunguza kuenea kwa virusi vya kupumua. """ "Mwanamke huyo aliongeza: ""Gripi imeua zaidi ya Wamarekani 16,000 mwaka huu na bado inasababisha ugonjwa kote Marekani, lazima ubadilishe vinyago kila baada ya masaa machache, na ikiwa utaenda njia ya kinyago licha ya ushauri wa wataalam, ni muhimu kutambua kwamba vinyago vya uso vina maisha maalum sana.""" Ingawa kuna baadhi ya masks ya uso na filters kubadilisha, masks ya uso ya kawaida katika soko ni matumizi ya mara moja. Kila moja ya hizo ni nzuri tu kwa muda wa saa chache. "Unapaswa kubadilisha vinyago kila baada ya masaa machache ili kuhakikisha kwamba vinafanya kazi vizuri na havina viini vya virusi vya nje,"" alisema Pekos." "Si kama kuvaa moja inakulinda. Ni lazima mtu afuate taratibu hususa ili ahakikishe kwamba anazitumia kwa matokeo". """Kununua vinyago vya uso kwa matumizi ya kibinafsi kunaweza kusababisha upungufu katika hospitali, kuna ugavi mdogo wa vinyago vya uso na wakati makampuni yanaongeza uzalishaji wao, mahitaji yanaongezeka kwa kiwango cha juu sana,"" anasema Pekos." "Kuna uwezekano mkubwa wa kuwa na upungufu wa vifaa vya kinga ya kibinafsi katika taasisi za matibabu na hii inaweza kusukumwa kwa sehemu na vifaa vinavyonunuliwa na umma kwa ujumla. """ """Jitihada za kujitayarisha kwa dharura zitashughulikia minyororo ya usambazaji, lakini kwa kweli hakuna sababu kwa umma kununua idadi kubwa ya vinyago vya N95.""" Marekani Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Afya alisema waziwazi: "Kweli watu <unk> Acha kununua masks!" Kampuni kubwa ya kuuzia vinyago vya uso nchini Marekani, Face Mask, ina wafanyikazi 100 tu. Ingawa kampuni hiyo haijapata mahitaji ya kawaida ya Marekani ya vinyago vya uso na vifaa vya kupumua, sasa wanajitahidi kuendelea. Mike Bowen, makamu wa rais mtendaji wa kampuni hiyo, aliambia CBS News kwamba sasa wana maagizo ya hadi vinyago vya uso milioni 100 na vifaa vya kupumua kwa siku. "Mwanamke huyo alisema kuwa kampuni hiyo haisambazi bidhaa zake kimataifa, lakini katika siku 30 zilizopita imeuza kati ya masks milioni moja na milioni mbili kwa wanunuzi ambao kisha waliwatuma kwa wengine nchini China na Hong Kong.""" "Kupanda kwa idadi ya maagizo ya kibinafsi ni kile wataalam wanaogopa kusababisha upungufu hatari wa hifadhi katika hospitali za Amerika, upungufu ambao unaweza kuepukwa kabisa, kwa kuzingatia kwamba hakuna faida zilizothibitishwa kwa umma kwa kuvaa vinyago vya uso. """ Njia bora ya kuzuia virusi vya corona: Osha mikono yako Wataalamu wanasema hii ni njia bora ya kuzuia kuenea kwa magonjwa ya kuambukiza kama virusi vya corona. Njia ya kawaida ya kuambukiza ni wakati watu wanapogusa uso uliosambazwa na kisha kugusa mdomo au pua. Osha mikono yako mara nyingi na kwa uangalifu. "Mwandishi mkuu wa habari za CBS, Dk Jon LaPucc, alisema: ""Ni muhimu sana kuhakikisha kwamba unafyonza sabuni kwenye vidole vyako kwa sababu ni sehemu ya mkono ambayo mara nyingi hupuuzwa na sehemu ya mkono ambayo ina uwezekano mkubwa wa kugusa uso wako na kueneza ugonjwa.""" Sabuni na maji ni bora zaidi kuliko dawa. Ikiwa unatumia sanitizer ya mikono ya pombe, hakikisha kuwa ina angalau 60% ya pombe. CDC inashauri watu kuepuka kugusa macho, pua na mdomo kwa mikono isiyoosha, kuepuka kuwasiliana na wagonjwa, kufunika mdomo wakati wa kukohoa na kupiga chafya, na mara nyingi. kwa ajili ya vipengele zaidi.