Coronavirus Updates: CDC Ponders Encouraging More Americans To Wear Masks In Public
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering changing its guidelines for people wearing masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
White House Coronavirus Task Force's Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday that the CDC may broaden the recommendation of the general public using masks.
The CDC has previously been advising only people who are sick to wear a mask. Dr Fauci had even suggested that a healthy person wearing a mask could make them more likely to get the virus because they may touch their face or mouth to adjust it.
Dr. Fauci says reconsidering the guidelines would first require an adequate supply of masks.
"The idea of getting a much more broad, community-wide use of masks outside of the health care setting is under very active discussion at the task force," Dr. Fauci said
That's an issue health experts here locally in Minnesota are also concerned about.
"If suddenly the general public were all trying to wear medical masks, that could deplete the supplies for people who work in hospitals and clinics," University of Minnesota Medical Center director of infection prevention Susan Kline said.
President Trump said Monday he is open to the idea of more people wearing masks for a short amount of time.
