CDC encourages N95, KN95 masks to stop COVID-19 spread amid omicron surge
ATLANTA - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending people opt for the highly-protective N95 or KN95 masks over cloth masks to ward off the highly-contagious omicron variant and slow the coronavirus spread. "Masks are designed to contain your respiratory droplets and particles," the CDC said on its website. "They also provide you some protection from particles expelled by others."RELATED: What type of face mask is best amid the recent omicron surgeSingle-layer cloth masks may not provide adequate protection against the very infectious omicron variant of COVID-19, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report.Many infectious disease experts noted people prefer cloth masks because they are more comfortable and fashionable to wear, but these masks can only block larger droplets of COVID-19, not smaller aerosols or particles that can also carry the virus.The CDC said that masks were previously in short supply but are considered better at filtering the air.
In updated guidance posted late Friday afternoon, CDC officials removed concerns related to supply shortages and more clearly said that properly fitted N95 and KN95 masks offer the most protection.Mask guidance has fluctuated over the course of the pandemic.The CDC did not recommend healthy people wear face masks at first, but that guidance then changed over time.
In April 2020, the CDC started advising people to wear cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing was difficult to maintain.
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