A man wears a mask and a hat with an Irish symbol of shamrock designs as he walks in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Tuesday, March 17, 2020. (Jonathan Hayward / The Canadian Press via AP)
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PORTLAND, Pray. – The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) now recommends the use of face masks in public. Following the new guidelines, health officials from the Portland metropolitan area discussed the issue in a video conference.
Health officials addressed key points about the new recommendations, including who may be better protected by wearing masks and why.
“If we wear mask covers, we decrease the number of drops we release when we sneeze, cough, or talk,” said Dr. Christina Baumann, Washington County health officer. “If we have no symptoms or if we have mild symptoms, wearing a face covering will help us not pass infections on to others without knowing it.”
Authorities also make it clear that masks that are normally used in a medical setting are not part of the new guidelines.
However, health experts recommend cloth masks such as scarves, scarves, and other homemade masks.
“What we can suggest is that the tighter the fabric, such as the amount of thread on the sheets, the thicker the fabric, the better it will fit your face, and the better the protection,” said Dr. Sarah Present. , Clackamas County Health Officer.
Health officials are also reminding people that wearing a mask or covering their faces is not a substitute for social estrangement.
“Covering your face is not a substitute for staying home or stopping away from others, and you have to stay home especially when you’re sick,” said Dr. Jennifer Vines, director of health for the three-county region: Washington, Clackamas and Multnomah.
She stressed that wearing a mask does not give her permission to go out to do nonessential things or to go out sick.
Anyone wearing a face mask should also remember to practice good hand hygiene.
Officials are concerned that people may become infected by adjusting the mask often or continually touching the face mask while wearing it.
It should be noted that there is no plan to make the use of a mask mandatory.
Here’s a video shared by health experts on how to make your own mouth mask.
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