Posted: Apr 03, 2020 8:18 PM EDT
Updated: Apr 03, 2020 8:18 PM EDT
As the coronavirus pandemic rages on, some are choosing to wear face coverings in public.
The CDC on Friday issued a recommendation that all U.S. citizens wear non-medical face coverings in public. The recommendation is voluntary.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday that it’s fair to say coverings could help, but warned to not “get a false sense of security that you don’t need to social distance.”
CDC advises face coverings in public; recommendation is voluntary
New York’s health commissioner previously said there is no data to support the use of face masks except for those who are sick, or health care workers. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday should be covering their face with some sort of bandanna, scarf or cloth.
Some doctors say people should have been using this type of protection weeks ago.
LIVE BLOG – Coronavirus updates from the tri-state area and beyond
“This virus probably comes probably when we speak, certainly when we sneeze and cough,” says microbiologist Dr. Dean Hart. “It probably comes out as we speak to other people and even maybe breathing.”
Hart says while a scarf or bandanna is not the best protection, it’s better than nothing. He also says you could also wear a pair of glasses to protect your eyes.
“A whole lot of viral infections come through the mucus membranes of our eyes,” Hart says. “So, we need to wear a mask and we need to protect our eyes.”