COVID-19: Face masks not enough for self-protection, says White House

The White House has reportedly announced that wearing a face mask isn’t sufficient to protect oneself against the deadly COVID-19 disease, and might lead to a “false sense of security”, a top adviser from President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force reportedly said. Deborah Brix said that the social distancing guidelines and other containment protocols were necessary to combat the spread of the disease. 

According to reports, the White House led an intense debate on whether the protective masks were to be relied on, after which, the announcement was made. Americans are asked to follow other precautionary guidelines which are key in the fight against the pandemic. The Trump administration is in the process of formalizing new guidance to recommend that many, if not almost all, Americans should switch to non-medical masks amidst the N95 masks' acute shortage in healthcare facilities. The recommendation would apply at least to those communities and areas that aren’t as severely hit by the crisis as New York State.

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Revised guidelines underway

Officials reportedly suggest that ordinary masks, designed out of T-shirts or bandannas must be used to cover the nose and mouth when indoor, or for instance, at the nearest grocery store or pharmacy, as per the reports. The White House would roll out a recommendation that the medical-grade masks, particularly the short-in-supply N95 protective masks used by the medics and frontline staff, should be reserved for those exposed on the ground with the patients of the coronavirus. 

Deborah Brix was quoted a saying that face mask, wasn’t in any way, the substitute for prevention. She reiterated that US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to issue revised guidelines on face masks in the coming days. She added saying that the health authorities did not want people to get an artificial sense of protection, for as long as they were interacting with the outside environment, they were exposed to the risk of disease contraction. The masks, certainly, have a greater role in preventing community spread, as contrary to self-protection, she added. 

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