Coronavirus In Pennsylvania: Sen. Toomey Says He Supports Face Masks For All
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/CNN) -- Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania says he is supporting a movement that some Twitter users are talking about under the hashtag, #Masks4All.
Sen. Toomey says he supports everyone wearing a face mask when going out in public.
He says he believes it can help stop the spread of Coronavirus.
On his Twitter account, Sen. Toomey says, "Each of us needs to do what we can to stop the spread. One easy thing we all can do, today, is wear homemade masks in public."
He posted a video of himself to Twitter talking about the movement.
Research shows that fluids spread when coughing/sneezing are a big transmitter of COVID-19. Each of us needs to do what we can to stop the spread. One easy thing we all can do, today, is wear homemade masks in public. My mask could help you, your mask could help me. #Masks4All pic.twitter.com/6JGNNMtdJD
— Senator Pat Toomey (@SenToomey) March 29, 2020
The idea of recommending broad use of masks in the United States is under "very active discussion" at the White House, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
World Health Organization officials said earlier this week though that they still recommend people not wear face masks unless they are sick with COVID-19 or caring for someone who is sick.
"There is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by the mass population has any potential benefit. In fact, there's some evidence to suggest the opposite in the misuse of wearing a mask properly or fitting it properly," Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO health emergencies program.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said Tuesday, about face masks, that they are watching the Center For Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines carefully, but masks could be helpful.
"For cloth masks, my mask protects you and your mask protects me," said Dr. Levine. "If someone is having potentially very mild symptoms of COVID-19, it could prevent large droplets from being dispersed into the air, and that would protect you. And for you, it would be the same for me. But we have not made a decision, but we're observing what the CDC is doing very carefully."
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist with the WHO, also said that it is important "we prioritize the use of masks for those who need it most," which would be frontline health care workers.
"In the community, we do not recommend the use of wearing masks unless you yourself are sick and as a measure to prevent onward spread from you if you are ill," Van Kerkhove said.
"The masks that we recommend are for people who are at home and who are sick and for those individuals who are caring for those people who are home that are sick," she said.
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