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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that Americans wear face-covering or masks in public to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The guidelines were announced by President Trump on April 3.

“It’s really going to be a voluntary thing,” President Trump said. “I’m not choosing to do it.” Federal health officials said they were under intense pressure from the White House to make the recommendations, according to CNN, “The CDC would not have gone this direction if not for the White House. We would have tried more to understand about asymptomatic transmission. We would have done more studies if we had more time.”

Earlier in the week, experts told the White House that research found that coronavirus can be spread through talking or breathing, not just coughing. Experts say that citizens should be using a cloth or face masks, not medical-grade masks needed by hospital employees.

Joseph G. Allen, assistant professor of exposure and assessment science, director of the Healthy Buildings Program at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, wrote in an opinion article for the Washington Post that we all should be wearing masks, which provide multiple health benefits. He said there are four main benefits to wearing masks:

  • Masks are a physical barrier to coughs and sneezes
  • Masks protect you from others that might be ill
  • Masks are a reminder not to touch your face, coronavirus commonly enters the body through nose, eyes or mouth
  • Masks are a social cue that the threat is real

Masks should not be shared, should be washed daily if reusable and you should wash your hands after removing the mask, according to Allen.

Watch this video to learn how to make a mask from a bandana and hair bands:

 

Read more about protecting yourself from coronavirus. Check the CDC website for more information on how to protect yourself and check our latest article to learn how COVID-19 differs from the flu.

Scientists believe that the spread of COVID-19, or coronavirus, started at an exotic animal market in Wuhan, China. You can help stop the incidence of viruses like these by signing this petition to ban the wildlife trade.

It’s important to reconsider the consumption of animal products at this time to stay healthy. Eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental wellbeing, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer and has many side effects.

Interested in joining the dairy-free and meatless train? We highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App — with over 15,000 delicious recipes it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Catch up on our latest coronavirus coverage in One Green Planet, check out these articles:

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