UCSF professor “facial coverings” help stop the spread of the COVID-19

UC San Francisco Epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford said wearing a mask helps stop the spread of COVID-19 from asymptomatic carriers.

California health officials said Wednesday that face coverings are not required but could provide “some additional protection” against COVID-19.

EXPECTED TO SOONRELEASE NATIONWIDERECOMMENDATIONS ONWEARING FACE MASKS...AFTER INITIALLYTELLING AMERICANSTHEY WEREN'TNECESSARY TO PREVENTTHE SPREAD OF THECORONAVIRUS.CALIFORNIA RELEASEDNEW GUIDANCE ON WHATTO DO IF YOU DO WEARMASKS OR FACIALCOVERINGS..ACTION NEWSREPORTER CHRISTOPHSALAS IS LIVE IN SALINASNOW..WITH MORE ON THATGUIDANCE..AND WHAT YOUSHOULD NOT DO.WELL THE STATE SAYS IFYOU DO WEAR SOMETYPE OF FACECOVERING..WEATHER IT'S A MASK,BANDANNA, SCARF,HANDKERCHIEF, ORCLOTH YOU SHOULD NOTUSE PRECIOUS MEDICALGRADE MASKS..AND YOU SHOULD NOTLET IT BECOMEEXCUSE TO STOPPRACTICING SOCIALDISTANCING..BUT I SPOKE WITH ANINFECTIOUS DISEASESPECIALIST WHO SPOKEABOUT THEEFFECTIVENESS OF SOMETYPE OF FACE COVERING..

01:37 "THEY'RE CERTAINLYBETTER THAN NOTHING.

ANDTHIS IS THE TIME THATDIDN'T WANT THE PERFECTTO BE THE ENEMY OF THEGOOD." UC SANFRANCISCOEPIDEMEOLOGIST DRGEORGE RUTHERFORDSAYS FACE COVERINGSARE HELPFUL..BUT THEY DON'TPROTECT THE WEARER.02:20 "BUT UNDERSTANDWHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUTHERE.

IT'S PROTECTINGOTHER PEOPLE FROM YOU."RUTHERFORD SAY ITHELPS PREVENTSPREADING THE VIRUSFROM ASYMPTOMATICCARRIERS..IT'S THE SAME REASWHY FEDERAL HEALTHOFFICIALS ARE NOWCONSIERING CHANGINTHEIRRECOMMENDATIONS OFONLY FIRST RESPONDERSAND HEALTH CAREWORKERS WEARINGMASKS."THE TASK FORCE HAS ASKEDTHE CDC TO LOOK INTOWHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULDCHANGE OURRECOMMENDATIONS TOPREVENT PEOPLE FROMSPREADING THE NOVELCORONAVIRUS." IN LOSANGELES..

MAYOR ERICGARCETTI IS URGINGNEARLY 4 MILLIONRESIDENTS..TO START COVERINTHEIR FACES WHENEVERTHEY ARE OUT INPUBLIC.SAN DIEGO COUNTY ISMANDATING ESSENTIALBUSINESS WORKERS TOWEAR FACE COVERINGS...AND IN PLACES LIKELAREDO TEXAS..GOVERNMENT OFFICIALSARE MANDATING ALLPEOPLE OVER THE AGEOF FIVE WEAR SOME TYPEOF FACIAL COVERING..OR FACE A FINE OF UP TO1-THOUSAND DOLLARS.FOR NOW..THERE'S NORECOMMENDATION TOWEAR A FACE COVEIRNGON THE CENTRAL COAST.02:12 "I THINK THAT'SWHAT'S GOING TO BE THEEVOLVINGRECOMMENDATIONS.

IABSOLUTELY DO.

IABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND IT.I THINK I'TS PERFECTLYFINE." WHAT'S NOTPERFECTLY FINERUTHERFORD ANDOTHERS SAY...IS USING MEDICAL GRADEAND SURGICAL MASKS...THAT ARE IN SHORTSUPPLY.21:16 IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ASCARCITY OF RESOURCESTHAN WE WOULD CLEARLYASK EVERYONE TO MASK,BUT WE CAN'T DO THAT.

WENEED TO PRESERVE MAKSSFOR HEALTH CARE WORKERSONLY." YOU JUST HEARD FROSANTA CRUZ COUNTY'SPUBLIC HEALTH OFFICE..RIGHT NOW THEY ARELOOKING INTO WHETHERTO ISSUE ANY FACIALCOVERINGRECCOMENDATIONS..MONTEREY COUNTY SAIDTHEY WOULD FOLLOWTHE STATE...YOU CAN FIND THATINFORMATION ON OURWEBSITE... BUT DAN THE BIGTAKEAWAY IS HEALTHOFFICIALS URGING THEPUBLIC -- IF YOU DOWEAR A MASK-- DON'TTHINK IT'S A SUBSTITUTEFOR STAY AT HOMEORDERS..

OR SOCIALDISTANCING..

CONCERNS TONIGHTABOUT SAFEGUARDINGEMPLOYEES WHO AREPART