Long-Term Care

CDC recommends use of face masks in outbreak

Contemporary Long-Term Care Weekly, May 10, 2007

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that both surgical masks and thicker industrial masks should be considered in the event of a flu pandemic, reported the New York Times. Healthcare professionals who take care of the sick, in particular, should opt for the industrial masks.

When asked why its new recommendations were so vague, the CDC's chief of infection control, Dr. Michael Bell, told the Times the CDC has been debating for years how strongly to recommend the masks. "If there were a fail-safe, perfect solution, we'd recommend it absolutely. But there isn't a crisp, hard guideline," he said. The CDC also said it fears stricter guidance would mean a run on masks by concerned citizens, thus creating a shortage for healthcare workers who need them more, the Times reported.

Most Popular

Related Articles