
President Donald Trump giving a coronavirus briefing (screengrab)
At Tuesday's coronavirus press briefing, President Donald Trump suggested that people should use a scarf instead of an N-95 mask.
"A lot of people have scarves. A scarf is good," said Trump. "There's certainly no harm."
“You can use a scarf. A lot of people have scarves. A scarf is good.” Trump neatly sums up the face-covering advice.— Anne Rumsey Gearan (@Anne Rumsey Gearan) 1585694082.0
Scarves are not a safe substitute for an N-95 mask, which is specially formulated to filter 95 percent of impurities out of the air. Many scarves are loosely knit and can hold the virus in the fibers.
The CDC is considering a recommendation that all Americans wear masks in public, but there is a worry such a recommendation could worsen the shortage of masks and leave doctors and nurses with nothing.