As COVID-19 variants emerge across the country, mixed with a slow introduction of vaccines, health experts say masking is more important than ever.
“The most important thing is that everyone should wear a mask,” said dr. Anthony Fauci, the NIAID director, said.
And not just one, but according to some experts. Members of President Biden’s cabinet agree.
“It just makes common sense that it’s likely to be more effective,” Fauci said.
The CDC does not explicitly recommend double masking, nor does it say the same for an N-95, although the CDC and the World Health Organization do recommend multi-layer cloth masks.
“I’m not a doctor. I do not want to tell someone who is struggling to breathe that they should have a double mask due to a lung risk. These are decisions that should be based on the ability to breathe. Fetchy Kistler, director of the Allentown Health Bureau, said.
The Allentown Health Bureau sticks to the current CDC leadership until it says otherwise. Kistler says it’s hard enough to get people to wear one mask, let alone double it.
“What we’re telling people is that if you have a two-piece cloth mask with a good seal, you need to be protected,” Kistler said.
If you are one of the lucky ones who has been vaccinated, you are not off the mask. Experts say until the community is immunized and community spread is kept to a minimum, you should wear one or two more if you want.