On Tuesday, a top U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official said the ongoing coronavirus pandemic could get under control in a couple of months if Americans start wearing masks.
In an interview with Dr. Howard Bauchner of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said, “The time is now. I think if we could get everybody to wear a mask right now I think in four, six, eight weeks we could bring this epidemic under control.”
The CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) have recommended wearing facemasks in public to slow down the spread of COVID-19, the infection caused by the novel coronavirus, which has affected more than 13 million and killed over 581,000 people globally.
Dr. Redfield said, “I think we’re being very clear now. Now’s the time to wear a mask.”
Researchers across the world say the infection can be transmitted through air droplets, making the virus airborne. So, facemask could serve as the best help to prevent the spread of the virus.
In fact, last week, the WHO addressed that the virus might have gone airborne, meaning it could spread mostly in closed spaces indoors.
Earlier, the CDC published a new study that said state leaders must consider face coverings as a protective measure to reduce the spread of the virus.
The study said, “With the potential for presymptomatic and asymptomatic transmission, widespread adoption of policies requiring face coverings in public settings should be considered to reduce the impact and magnitude of additional waves of COVID-19.”
Recently, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Texas Governor Greg Abbott have issued orders, stating people should wear facemasks in public or in certain environments where they are unable to practice social distancing. The orders came after the states started experiencing a surge in new cases.
However, there is no nationwide mandate of facemasks like in China or other nations.
Last week, President Donald Trump criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and a key member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, for not recommending people to wear facemasks earlier in the outbreak.
Trump said, “Dr. Fauci’s a nice man, but he’s made a lot of mistakes. They’ve been wrong about a lot of things, including face masks.”
“Maybe they’re wrong, maybe not,” he added. “A lot of them said don’t wear a mask, don’t wear a mask. Now they’re saying wear a mask. A lot of mistakes were made, a lot of mistakes.”
On Saturday, the president wore a facemask in public for the first time while visiting Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Dr. Redfield said wearing a mask is not a political issue but a public health one, adding he was pleased to see Trump and Vice President Mike Pence wearing facemasks in public recently.
