Here’s what WHO says your mask should have to prevent COVID-19 spread

Enlarge / French fashion student sews homemade protective face masks to stop the spread of COVID-19. (credit: Getty | GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT)

The World Health Organization on Friday updated its guidance on the use of masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic, making several changes and additions. Most notably, the agency is now recommending that governments encourage healthy members of the general public to wear masks in specific situations as part of comprehensive prevention efforts.

The new guidance puts the agency more in line with many countries worldwide that have already recommended masking the public, including the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which made the recommendation in early April.

However, the WHO made its updated guidance with many caveats-and some highly specific recommendations not provided by the US CDC.

Read 20 remaining paragraphs | Comments