Wearing cloth face masks while in public can help prevent a person from potentially transmitting an infection to someone else. “If everybody wears a mask, it can prevent asymptomatic carriers from inadvertently infecting other people because it can trap the virus inside the mask,” says Dr. Larry Chu, a professor of anesthesiology at the Stanford University Medical Center. “That can help prevent the spread.” Article Link: https://time.com/5816956/how-to-make-a-face-mask-coronavirus/

Everyone should be wearing them [masks], because the risk is low, and the return may be high… there is something very powerful about everyone doing it [wearing masks] as a group. My plea would be that of course there are people who find it uncomfortable or unnecessary, but that we try to do this as a society during this period, because if everyone does do it, it becomes something we do as a whole society. Article Link: https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/the-vital-importance-of-wearing-masks-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic

As we know, U.S. authorities, backed by the Centers for Disease Control, are now recommending we cover up our noses and mouths with masks, after weeks of having said the opposite. That a five-cent procedural mask should take center stage in our discussions about societal distrust is almost disappointing in its banality… That misinformation about masks that was promulgated in multiple countries wouldn’t have happened without the support of the World Health Organization… Harvard epidemiologist Bill Hanage recently admitted to Ed Yong. “You’re not wearing them [masks] to stop yourself getting infected, but to stop someone else getting infected.” Yes, Dr. Hanage. Yes! You’ve ...

On Friday, President Trump announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends people in the United States wear face coverings in public to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. The additional public health measure is not a substitute for social distancing but is mainly to prevent those who have the virus — and might not know it — from spreading it to others. Article Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/04/05/how-sew-your-own-fabric-mask/?arc404=true

Medical contributor Dr. Kavita Patel joins Weekend TODAY and says Americans should “absolutely” be covering their face with non-surgical masks if they need to leave their homes. “I think it’s confusing when you hear the president immediately then say that he’s not going to do it,” she says. Video link: https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/it-s-confusing-when-trump-says-he-won-t-wear-a-mask-doctor-says-81641029564

The universal use of mouth and nose covering with masks is a low-risk intervention that can only assist in reducing the spread of this terrible illness. If everyone wears a mask, individuals protect one another, reducing overall community transmission. It could even remind people not to touch their faces after touching potentially contaminated surfaces. Article link: https://theconversation.com/why-wear-face-masks-in-public-heres-what-the-research-shows-135623  

As the coronavirus spreads rapidly around the nation, a significant number of infected people may never show any symptoms (perhaps as high as one in four people). What's more, it takes an average of five days after infection for symptoms to develop in those that do eventually have symptoms. So there are likely a lot of unwitting carriers around outside. Enter, then, cloth face masks — like those made out of T-shirts or hand towels. The new mask guidance is meant to keep you from infecting others. …we can help nurses and doctors by doing everything we can to slow the relentless spread of an often serious disease. ...

In just 45 seconds, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams demonstrates how to make your own cloth facemask. It's lo-tech. You can use a T-shirt, hand towel, or bandana. The only other thing you need is rubber bands. The CDC now recommends wearing cloth face masks in public places where it's difficult to social distance from others — meaning staying at least six feet away. That's because a "significant portion of people" — perhaps as much as one in four people — are infected but won't ever show any coronavirus symptoms. So wearing a cloth mask is particularly important for ...

CDC continues to study the spread and effects of the novel coronavirus across the United States.  We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms.  This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms.  In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain ...

President Trump said Friday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends that people wear cloth or fabric face masks, which can be made at home, when entering public spaces such as grocery stores and public transit stations …as the virus spread to every state in the U.S., it has become clear that people can contract and spread the virus without showing symptoms, rendering it difficult — if not impossible — to distinguish healthy from infected individuals without a formal test. …And the mask need not be professional-grade to offer some benefit. In fact, officials say it probably shouldn't be: The CDC recommends ...

President Donald Trump said Thursday his administration will soon release nationwide recommendations on wearing face masks after initially telling Americans they weren't necessary to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Article Link: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/02/politics/trump-birx-face-masks-coronavirus/index.html

“In light of these new data, along with evidence of widespread transmission in communities across the country, CDC recommends the community use of cloth masks as an additional public health measure people can take to prevent the spread of virus to those around them,” according to the guidance, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Post. Article Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/04/02/coronavirus-facemasks-policyreversal/

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told New Yorkers to cover their faces when they go outside, even if it’s a homemade mask, reversing previous guidance advising only those who are sick wear face masks. “We’re advising New Yorkers to wear a face covering when you go outside and near other people,” de Blasio said at a press conference Thursday. “It can be a scarf, it can be something you create at home it can be a bandana.” De Blasio cautioned residents against wearing surgical masks or other medical-grade masks, worrying that it would make the shortage for personal ...

Beginning Thursday, the ordinance approved by the Laredo City Council mandated that anyone entering a building, using public transit or pumping their gas must cover their nose and mouth with a mask, bandana, scarf or any cloth or face a fine up to $1,000.  Article Link: https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-city-fine-people-who-dont-cover-faces-outside-coronavirus

Last week, George Gao, director-general of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told ScienceMag.com that the “big mistake in the U.S.” is that people aren’t wearing masks. “This virus is transmitted by droplets and close contact. Droplets play a very important role,” he said. You’ve got to wear a mask, because when you speak, there are always droplets coming out of your mouth.” Article Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/02/make-your-own-face-mask-during-coronavirus-pandemic-expert-approved-guide-on-how.html

“At this point, there really seems to be no question that everybody should be wearing a mask to protect themselves and more importantly, to protect their community,” Jeremy Howard, research scientist at the University of San Francisco said, “when you’re talking bits of saliva come out of your mouth, you don’t even see them.” “Do not take N-95 masks,” said Garcetti during a presser in Los Angeles Wednesday evening. “They are reserved for front line workers.” “You are not doing surgery at home or during your shopping. So you don’t need these masks,” said Howard. “They are harder to fit. ...

"While the current [coronavirus] specific research is limited, the results of available studies are consistent with aerosolization of virus from normal breathing," according to the letter, written by Dr. Harvey Fineberg, chairman of a committee with the National Academy of Sciences. Fineberg told CNN that he will wear start wearing a mask when he goes to the grocery story. "I'm not going to wear a surgical mask, because clinicians need those," said Fineberg, former dean of the Harvard School of Public Health. "But I have a nice western-style bandana I might wear. Or I have a balaclava. I have some ...

“But we now have more evidence suggesting that people can spread COVID-19 before they know they are infected and need to isolate themselves. Also, since there’s no shortage of do-it-yourself face mask tutorials online, regular people can cover their faces without depriving a doctor or nurse of much-need infection protection.” Article Link: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-04-01/editorial-to-wear-a-mask-or-not-to-wear-a-mask-its-still-a-question

“Most members of President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force have come to agree that Americans should begin wearing face coverings in public and could issue formal guidance on the matter soon, people familiar with the matter said.” Article Link: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/01/politics/trump-coronavirus-masks/index.html

See video of Dr Anthony Fauci speak about the benefits of everyone wearing a DIY mask. See video clip at 7:20-8:00: https://www.fox5ny.com/news/disease-expert-fauci-says-he-feared-virus-like-covid-19-many-years-ago

The mayor of Los Angeles on Wednesday told everyone in the nation’s second-largest city to start wearing masks to combat the coronavirus…“To be clear, you should still stay at home. This isn’t an excuse to suddenly all go out,” Garcetti said….Garcetti’s announcement came after Riverside County public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser urged that people who need to go out in public should use something — even bandanas or neck warmers — to cover their mouths and noses to protect others and themselves.” Article Link: https://nypost.com/2020/04/01/los-angeles-mayor-urges-residents-to-wear-masks-to-stem-coronavirus-spread/

“Adrien Burch, an expert in microbiology at the University of California, Berkeley, noted that "despite hearing that face masks 'don't work,' you probably haven't seen any strong evidence to support that claim. That's because it doesn't exist." In fact, there is evidence of the exact opposite: that masks help prevent viral infections like the current pandemic… One study of community transmission in Beijing found that "consistently wearing a mask in public was associated with a 70% reduction in the risk of catching SARS." Article Link: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/01/asia/coronavirus-mask-messaging-intl-hnk/index.html

“While medical face masks should be reserved for health professionals battling the coronavirus amid a shortage of protective equipment, some experts are saying others should consider improvising their own mask. “Cover your face with cloth — however you want to do that,” Shan Soe-Lin, a lecturer at the Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, told The New York Times. “Cover your face pretty thoroughly from your mouth to your nose to prevent large aerosol droplets coming out or going in.” Article Link: https://www.foxnews.com/health/should-you-make-your-own-face-mask

"It's straightforward: Coronavirus appears to mostly spread when germ-containing droplets make it into a person’s mouth, nose, or eyes. If you have a physical barrier in front of your mouth and nose, that’s simply less likely to happen. But the best protection masks offer may be protection from the wearer. While the evidence is thin on how much masks protect the wearer from coronavirus — since it’s unclear if the virus spreads much through airborne droplets — it’s true that the masks stop people from spreading their own droplets: When you breathe, talk, laugh, sigh, yawn, sneeze, or cough in public, you’re less ...

“Because if, in fact, a person who may or may not be infected wants to prevent infecting someone else, one of the best ways to do that is with a mask.” Anthony Fauci, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director. Article link: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/31/fauci-mask-recommendation-coronavirus-157476

“Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, wrote in a Twitter post on Sunday that a recommendation from the CDC "for consumers to wear cotton masks (with guidelines on how to fashion these products from household items) can improve safety and reduce spread and not strain the hospital supply chain. Also on Twitter, Tom Inglesby, director of Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, wrote in a thread on Sunday that "members of the general public should wear non-medical fabric masks when going out in public in one additional societal effort to slow the spread of the virus down." Article ...

“Contrary to what American officials told us, many studies show that widespread mask-wearing might be a very effective complement to hand-washing, social-distancing and other measures to mitigate the pandemic. Health officials in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan suggest that people wear masks in certain situations — if they’re symptomatic, for instance, or if they’re in crowded, not-very-well-ventilated places, like airplanes. Studies have also shown that mask-wearing (in conjunction with hand-washing) reduces the spread of infection within households or other shared living spaces, like residence halls. But how to get your hands on a mask, when there are no masks? The internet has a plan: Make your own.” Article Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/opinion/coronavirus-n95-mask.html

“We know there is asymptomatic spread. ...Are you taking another look at the CDC's mask recommendations? We're always critically looking at new data and... there is data from obviously Singapore, Hong Kong and China that looks at the issue and you can look at masks in two ways...Is the mask something that protects me or...if I wear a mask, is it something that protects others, from me? Particularly with the new data, that there's significant asymptomatic transmission, this is being critically re-reviewed, to see if there's potential additional value for individuals that are infected or individuals that may be asymptomatically ...

“In recent days, an assortment of scientists, health experts, pundits and influencers has vigorously advanced their position that everyone venturing into public or crowded places should wear a mask or face shield — even a homemade one — to lower the rate of transmission of covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Thomas Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said in an interview the CDC should urge people to use nonmedical masks or face coverings. “I think it would be a prudent step we can all take to reduce transmission” by people who are infected but have no ...

The collective evidence makes a strong case for universal mask wearing during a pandemic. Masks are not a substitute for other interventions; they must always be used in combination with social distancing and hand hygiene. But even during a lockdown, some people need to leave their homes for essential task, such as buying food and medicine. With diseases like Covid-19, many individuals may be infected but asymptomatic, spreading the virus without realizing it. In parallel, some healthy people may not be able to adequately isolate themselves from infected partners, family members, and housemates. Masks could help reduce the spread of disease in all ...

Carlson said, the claim that the masks only work for health care professionals, but not for healthy civilians is baffling, since the pandemic has no regard for people's occupation. "So look, we understand there's a shortage of masks," Carlson concluded, addressing the federal government. "We understand only certain people should get them because it's a triage moment, we get it. But stop lying to us." Article Link: https://www.foxnews.com/media/tucker-carlson-blasts-feds-medical-masks-coronavirus

“Such DIY cloth masks would potentially lower the risk that the wearer. If infected, would transmit the virus to other people.” Article Link: https://apple.news/AL8F0k2PlTHmv8T-l1lbUSQ

"I would encourage people to make sure if you're going outside, cover up. Cover your nose and mouth. My mask will keep someone else safe and their mask will keep me safe. I'm not suggesting that this is any kind of guarantee and it probably doesn't have tremendous value for the person wearing the mask. But it probably does significantly reduce the risk that people could inadvertently transmit it." Article Link: https://www.toomey.senate.gov/?p=news&id=2601   Pat Toomey, Senator of Pennsylvania

Encourage the Public to Wear Masks.  “There is emerging evidence that asymptomatic and presymptomatic transmission of COVID-19 is possible, which complicates efforts to pursue case-based interventions. To reduce this risk during Phase I, everyone, including people without symptoms, should be encouraged to wear nonmedical fabric face masks while in public. Face masks will be most effective at slowing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 if they are widely used, because they may help prevent people who are asymptomatically infected from transmitting the disease unknowingly. Face masks are used widely by members of the public in some countries that have successfully managed their outbreaks, ...

“Despite messages from some health officials to the contrary, it’s likely that a mask can help protect a healthy wearer from infection.” Benjamin Cowling, epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong “It’s really a perfectly good public health intervention that’s not used….It’s not to protect yourself. It’s to protect people against the droplets coming out of your respiratory tract.” KK Cheng, public health expert at the University of Birmingham. The Czech Republic took the uncommon step last week of making nose and mouth coverings mandatory in public spaces, prompting a grassroots drive to hand make masks. Article Link: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/would-everyone-wearing-face-masks-help-us-slow-pandemic

“And considering COVID-19 has a lot of asymptomatic cases, widespread use of masks could help prevent those who do not know they are carrying the virus from spreading it to others.” Article Link: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/experts-question-advice-against-face-mask-use-coronavirus.html KK Cheng, public health expert at the University of Birmingham

“Given the weight of evidence, it seems likely that universal mask wearing should be a part of the solution. Every single one of us can make it happen — starting today… It’s time to make masks a key part of our fight to contain, then defeat, this pandemic. Masks effective at “flattening the curve” can be made at home with nothing more than a T-shirt and a pair of scissors. We should all wear masks — store-bought or homemade — whenever we’re out in public.” Article Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/03/28/masks-all-coronavirus/ Jeremy Howard, distinguished research scientist at the University of San Francisco, member ...

“Can you speak on the effectiveness of masks to address the problem? Are we in short supply? Do we need more? How is that process going? We certainly need more. We have much more supply now than we had a week or two ago. You have to prioritize who needs the mask and who should wear it. First and foremost, healthcare providers -- doctors, nurses and health providers who are taking care of a person with coronavirus disease -- to protect them from getting infected. Because what's happened in Italy and what happened in China is you can knockout your ...

“…there are not enough masks for everyone…Here, therefore, DIY could come into play: following some precautions, anyone can create a homemade mask, always considering that homemade masks have reduced effectiveness but are still useful as a last minute remedy” “Coughing and sneezing, but also breathing and speaking, scatter what are called droplets, micro-drops of saliva, which in the case of powerful sneezing can easily reach a meter away, which could contain the virus inside. For this reason, it is important, first of all, to stay at home, if this is not possible then you must keep your distance and wear ...

“When researchers conducted systematic review of a variety of interventions used during the SARS outbreak in 2003, they found that washing hands more than 10 times daily was 55 percent effective in stopping virus transmission, while wearing a mask was actually more effective — at about 68 percent. Wearing gloves offered about the same amount of protection as frequent hand-washing, and combining all measures — hand-washing, masks, gloves and a protective gown — increased the intervention effectiveness to 91 percent.” Article Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/health/us-coronavirus-face-masks.html

“The big mistake in the U.S. and Europe, in my opinion, is that people aren’t wearing masks. This virus is transmitted by droplets and close contact. Droplets play a very important role—you’ve got to wear a mask, because when you speak, there are always droplets coming out of your mouth. Many people have asymptomatic or presymptomatic infections. If they are wearing face masks, it can prevent droplets that carry the virus from escaping and infecting others.” Article Link: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/not-wearing-masks-protect-against-coronavirus-big-mistake-top-chinese-scientist-says?et_rid=490680101&et_cid=3263545  - George Gao, Co-author of two widely read papers published in The New England Journal of Medicine that provided some of ...

There is no scientific support for the statement that masks worn by non-professionals are “not effective”. In contrary, in view of the stated goal to “flatten the curve”, any additional, however partial reduction of transmission would be welcome — even that afforded by the simple surgical masks or home-made (DIY) masks (which would not exacerbate the supply problem). Article Link: https://medium.com/@Cancerwarrior/covid-19-why-we-should-all-wear-masks-there-is-new-scientific-rationale-280e08ceee71

"If we made a recommendation that everyone should wear masks, you'd overwhelm whatever supply we have and there wouldn't be enough for healthcare workers, and that would be tragic. But the reality is that wearing a mask...it may not afford you a lot of protection but it affords everyone protection from you." Article Link: https://bit.ly/gottlieb324 Scott Gottlieb, Former FDA Commissioner

“WHO recommends against wearing masks in community settings because of lack of evidence. However, absence of evidence of effectiveness should not be equated to evidence of ineffectiveness, especially when facing a novel situation with limited alternative options. It has long been recommended that for respiratory infections like influenza, affected patients should wear masks to limit droplet spread… Furthermore, transmission from asymptomatic infected individuals has been documented for COVID-19, and viral load is particularly high at early disease stage…Masking, as a public health intervention, would probably intercept the transmission link and prevent these apparently healthy infectious sources.” Article Link: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30520-1/fulltext#%20

“Masks work. There is widespread evidence from the field of occupational health, the SARS epidemic, and other outbreaks that wearing masks protects us from germs and interrupts the transmission of disease from sick to healthy people…handwashing, social distancing, and doing your best not to touch your face are not enough to stop the coronavirus. For the health of your neighbor and yourself, wear a mask.” Article Link: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/19/opinion/guidance-against-wearing-masks-coronavirus-is-wrong-you-should-cover-your-face/ -     Robert Hecht, president of Pharos Global Health Advisors and a clinical professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health. -     Shan Soe-Lin, managing director of the Boston-based ...

A new study from China suggests asymptomatic people spread COVID-19 the most. “Stealth transmission refers to the fact that people who have mild, non-discrete symptoms or are asymptomatic are contributing greatly to the spread of the virus...The new study suggests that two-thirds of the cases may be transmitted in this way, according to their mathematical modeling,” “On Day One, which could be really mild to you, you are producing a lot of active virus which gets transmitted by the respiratory droplets, and either directly acquired by susceptible individuals or picked up from surfaces,” “In other words: If you haven’t yet, ...

“...the W.H.O. and the C.D.C. told the public to wear masks if they were sick. However, there is increasing evidence of asymptomatic transmission, especially through younger people who have milder cases and don’t know they are sick but are still infectious. Since the W.H.O. and the C.D.C. do say that masks lessen the chances that infected people will infect others, then everyone should use masks.” Article Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/opinion/coronavirus-face-masks.html   Zeynep Tufekci - professor of information science who specializes in the social effects of technology 

As the spread of the virus accelerates outside East Asia, some experts have called on global health authorities to rethink the role of masking. In an article published in the medical journal Lancet, a group of health researchers argued that the coronavirus has “defied conventional containment strategy” because patients at the early stages of infection may have no or only vague symptoms while being infectious.  “People wear masks to protect themselves in close person-to-person contacts, but unintentionally, they are protecting each other through source control,”  -Chi Chiu Leung, Tai Hing Lam and Kar Keung Cheng Article Link: https://www.inkstonenews.com/health/coronavirus-health-researchers-urge-global-authorities-consider-broadening-use-face-masks/article/3074453

“Our findings suggest that a homemade mask should only be considered as a last resort to prevent droplet transmission from infected individuals, but it would be better than no protection.” Article Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24229526