The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that it recommends the wearing of face masks for the general public, after previously only recommending them for those who are sick and their carers, the BBC reports.
WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday that, "In light of evolving evidence, the WHO advises that governments should encourage the general public to wear masks where there is widespread transmission and physical distancing is difficult, such as on public transport, in shops or in other confined or crowded environments."
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead expert on Covid-19, told Reuters that the WHO's recommendation was for people to wear a "fabric mask - that is, a non-medical mask ... [that consists of] "at least three layers of different material" in order to be effective, adding that, "masks on their own will not protect you from Covid-19."