Wear your masks even when you are indoors, says the CDC

Until the vaccine for covid-19 virus isn’t available , precautions are the only thing that can save you. Now we are very well-versed with what exactly we need to do. Wearing face masks, social distancing, and cleaning or sanitizing our hands are the few basic things that we need to follow to the T. 

Having said that, many of us are still not doing the needful–and that’s the reason why the count of covid-19 infected patients is constantly increasing in India and globally.

So those of you who either do not wear a mask or wear it incorrectly, the CDC or the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has news for all of you. According to them wearing a mask indoors is also very important if you want to stay protected from the covid-19 infection. 

This is for the first time CDC has recommended wearing a mask indoors

The recommendation on mask-wearing in all indoor sites came in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report, which cited a high-level transmission of the virus as the ongoing holiday season and colder weather have driven more people indoors.

“Consistent and correct use of face masks is a public health strategy critical to reducing respiratory transmission”, the report stated, adding that this was particularly important “in light of estimates that approximately one half of new infections are transmitted by persons who have no symptoms.”

Face masks are the most important in indoor spaces, the advisory said, and outdoors when six feet of separation can’t be maintained. Within households, face masks should also be used when a member is infected or has had recent potential covid-19 exposure, according to the CDC guidance.

Here are the eight steps recommended by CDC to fight the virus

Apart from wearing a face mask and social distancing, the CDC wants people should abide by the following recommendations as well:

1. Avoiding non-essential indoor spaces
2. Increasing testing
3. Promptly identifying
4. Quarantining and testing close contacts of persons with covid-19
5. Safeguarding persons most at risk for severe illness
6. Supplying essential workers with adequate personal protective equipment
7. Postponing travel and increasing room air ventilation

Eventually, achieving widespread availability and high community coverage with effective vaccines.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)