Why The WHO Just Updated Its Face Mask Guidelines

We're getting closer to widespread vaccine distribution and the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we still have at least a few months to go. Dr. Anthony Fauci has warned that we may be in for a rough winter and that we will need to continue to work to contain the spread of the virus for the next few months.

The World Health Organization (WHO) just updated its face mask guidelines for the first time in several months. "Masks should be used as part of a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress transmission and save lives; the use of a mask alone is not sufficient to provide an adequate level of protection against COVID-19," advises WHO.

"If COVID-19 is spreading in your community, stay safe by taking some simple precautions, such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, cleaning your hands, and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue. Check local advice where you live and work. Do it all!"

The Hill noted that WHO's new guidelines are stricter than their previous guidelines, with the organization urging people in areas with outbreaks to wear masks in public areas including stores, workplaces, and schools, as well as any place they cannot stay at least three feet apart from others.

WHO also warns that face shields do not make for a good face covering, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have also advised against substituting a face shield for a mask, saying, "Face shields and goggles are primarily used to protect the eyes of the person wearing it. Goggles do not cover the nose and mouth. Face shields have large gaps below and alongside the face, where your respiratory droplets may escape and reach others around you. At this time, we do not know how much protection a face shield provides to people around you."