As expected, the CDC has issued new guidelines and all Americans are now encouraged to wear face protection that would cover the nose and mouth. It doesn't have to be a mask, especially not a professional one. But if you want a mask, you've got everything you need at home!
With the US heading towards 400,000 confirmed infections any moment now, it's no wonder that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued a new set of guidelines that suggests all Americans wear a face cover when possible. It's considered conditional and voluntary, but at the same time there's growing evidence that simply wearing any reasonable face cover significantly limits the transmition of the novel coronavirus.
That's why millions of Americans are rushing to get a mask this very moment. If you're hoping for a professional N95 mask, your hopes shouldn't be high at all, most retailers no longer carry them for individual customers, instead shifting any stock to medical professionals – they need them most.
But you may get just enough protection with a homemade cover for your nose and mouth. Remember that protection may work both ways: when you're healthy, you're inhaling fewer potentially dangerous particles; and if you're infected and asymptomatic, you're also protecting others from contracting the virus from you.
