Question: With all the flu going around, other than already getting the flu shot and washing your hands a lot, is there any information about whether those facial masks do any good? If so, is there a particular type of face mask that is best? I mean for just walking around?
Answer: “No recommendation can be made at this time for mask use in the community by asymptomatic persons, including those at high risk for complications, to prevent exposure to influenza viruses,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Asymptomatic means the person shows no symptoms of the flu.
While you asked whether healthy people should wear face masks day to day to keep from getting the flu, the CDC’s advice extends beyond that subset of the population. It issued interim guidance on the use of masks to deter the spread of the seasonal flu inside and outside of health care settings. Read it at 808ne.ws/maskguide.
Careful use of surgical masks or respirators by symptomatic or infected patients and their caregivers does help keep flu from spreading in hospitals and other health care facilities, so the CDC recommends their use there. However, selective use of face masks in the general community is less effective, according to the agency, which tailors its advice to the situation.
People sick with the flu who can’t stay home are advised to consider wearing a mask in public places, the CDC says. But healthy people would have to wear them pretty much all the time to avoid being exposed to the widespread virus.
“If unvaccinated high-risk persons decide to wear masks during periods of increased respiratory illness activity in the community, it is likely they will need to wear them any time they are in a public place and when they are around other household members,” the CDC concludes.
You may decide to add a face mask to your anti-flu regimen despite the lack of a CDC endorsement. If so, you needn’t buy an expensive one. Single-use, disposable masks that serve as a barrier against airborne particles are widely available.
The CDC does recommend other actions to avoid getting the flu and to ease symptoms and limit transmission if you do get sick:
>> Get the flu vaccine every year, preferably by the end of October. This is the No. 1 recommendation for people over 6 months old.
>> Avoid close contact with sick people.
>> If you have flu-like symptoms, limit contact with other people. Stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone (without fever-reducing medication) except to get medical care or other necessities. Flu-like symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea. You don’t have to have every symptom for it to be the flu.
>> Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue any time you cough or sneeze and immediately dispose of the tissue.
>> Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use an alcohol-based rub if soap and water are not available.
>> Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth, to avoid spreading germs to yourself and to others.
>> Frequently clean and disinfect surfaces and objects at home, work and school.
>> Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them; they can make the illness milder and shorten the time you are sick. Antiviral drugs are not antibiotics. They are prescription medications that are not available over the counter.
This is common-sense advice, but based on the auwes we receive during flu season each year, many people ignore it. For whatever reasons, they bring their illnesses to school, work, church and other places, increasing the likelihood that others will suffer as well.
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