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WHO vs. CDC: Healthy people, don’t throw that mask away just yet

When different sources give conflicting instructions, it can get confusing, but there are reasons for it.

SAN ANGELO, Texas — With so much information out there in the world, it can be confusing for people to know what advice to take.

When two respected health organizations offer differing guidance, making the right decision can become even more confusing. Recently, the World Health Organization announced healthy people no longer need to wear their masks while in public.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is holding strong to the fact that people do need to keep wearing their masks.

TEGNA Health Expert Dr. Payal Kohli said the reason these two institutions are saying two different things comes down to its audience. The WHO is a global structure, catering to everyone from the richest to the poorest countries.

Kohli said some countries might not have the resources for every single person to have a mask and they want to reserve protective equipment for people working directly with sick patients.

Meanwhile, the CDC’s audience is strictly the United States, so whatever it advises is based on what is happening in the U.S. Therefore, when comparing orders between the two bodies, the CDC’s recommendation is more applicable to American citizens.

While it may feel like the pandemic is settling down, Kohli said it is not too late for a resurgence from the restrictions being lifted and people gathering in groups to protest, so it is very important that every single person continues to wear a mask.

She said while N95 and surgical masks are the most effective, even cloth masks help reduce the risk of infection by 85%.

For those making their own masks, pure cotton materials are the best to use.

Synthetic fabrics can trap bacteria and dirt close to your face. Kohli said in addition to wearing a mask, people need to be very careful with how they handle their mask. The external surface of the mask could contain infection particles that could spread to your neck, head, hands and car, depending on how it is handled.

She advises the best way to care for a used mask is putting it surface down in a paper bag the same way every time, so the dirty side always faces the same way and germs won’t spread from it.

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