The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may soon recommend that all Americans wear two masks to increase their protection against the coronavirus, said Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday.
“It makes good sense,” said the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in a interview broadcast live with the Washington Post.
Fauci said he met with colleagues at the CDC on Monday about the possibility – and the agency agreed to conduct a study to determine the effectiveness of using two masks.
“The reason they don’t recommend it now is a science-based organization, the CDC,” said Fauci. “They make recommendations based on data and science, so that’s why they are going to look at this specific problem.”
Fauci said he encourages people to wear masks because “it doesn’t hurt”.
“The reason why a lot of people are wearing the double mask and, in fact, you’ve probably seen me wearing a double mask, is that you can make a general extrapolation of common sense,” he said.
“If you put two … [and] you’re looking to improve the physical barrier, it makes sense that it certainly can’t hurt and can help. “
Fauci had already called on people to start wearing the double mask, although there are concerns that the practice could do more harm if not used correctly.
Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease specialist who was an adviser to President Biden’s transition team, said problems with masks that have an “already compromised fit or filterability” can occur, allowing the respiratory droplets to escape the orifices.
“If you add another mask, it can really make it harder for air to move through the area of the two tissues and at that point, it causes more air to leak out through the sides, which really increases your ability to become infected,” said NBC anchor Chuck Todd at “Meet the Press” on Sunday.