CDC updates consumer face mask website to emphasize protection, fit and comfort

Atlanta, Georgia – The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its consumer web page outlining the types of masks and respirators used to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Masking is an essential public health tool to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, and it’s important to remember that any mask is better than no mask. To protect yourself and others from the COVID-19 coronavirus, the CDC continues to recommend that you wear the most protective mask possible that fits well and that you wear consistently.

The updated page will outline the protection provided by available masks and respirators, noting that some offer better protection than others. These updates to our web page reflect the science of masking, including what we have learned over the past two years, and will provide people with the information they need to improve the protection of their masks or respirators. We will continue to share the science of masking as it becomes available.

Summary of recent changes

January 14, 2022 Updates

• Added information to present similar content for masks and respirators
• Clarified that people can choose respirators such as N95s and KN95s, including removing concerns about supply shortages for N95s
• Clarified that “Surgical N95s” are a specific type of respirator that should be reserved for healthcare facilities
• Clarified that some types of masks and respirators offer more protection to the wearer than others

Key messages:

• Masking is an essential public health tool to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, and it’s important to remember that any mask is better than no mask.
• To protect yourself and others from the COVID-19 coronavirus, the CDC continues to recommend that you wear the most protective mask possible that fits well and that you wear consistently.
• Masks and respirators are effective in reducing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus COVID-19 when worn consistently and correctly.
• Some masks and respirators provide higher levels of protection than others, and some may be more difficult to tolerate or wear regularly than others. It is very important to wear a properly fitted mask or respirator that is comfortable for you and provides good protection.

• Although all masks and respirators provide some level of protection, properly fitted respirators provide the highest level of protection. Wearing a highly protective mask or respirator may be most important for certain high-risk situations or for certain people at increased risk of serious illness.
• The CDC’s mask recommendations provide information people can use to improve how their masks protect them.

About the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to protect the health, safety, and security of the United States. Whether diseases begin at home or abroad, whether they are treatable or preventable, chronic or acute, or the result of human activity or deliberate attack, the CDC responds to the most pressing health threats. in the USA. CDC is headquartered in Atlanta and has experts located across the United States and around the world.