CDC recommends we all wear masks; SLO County says it’s up to us. That’s not super helpful

On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control — more commonly known as the CDC — recommended that everyone wear a non-medical, cloth face covering out in public to slow the spread of coronavirus.

That especially applies in places like grocery stores and pharmacies, where it may be difficult to maintain a 6-foot separation from other shoppers.

Several other agencies already had weighed in with similar advice, including Los Angeles County, San Francisco and other Bay Area governments, and more recently, Santa Barbara County.

San Luis Obispo County Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein, on the other hand, is leaving it up to us to decide.

It’s “something people can choose to use,” she said during Friday’s news briefing.

Not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it?

And here’s the thing, a nudge in the form of a recommendation or directive — preferably from health experts — is the best way to make this catch on.

Plus, there’s something to be said for consistency, especially when it comes to public health.

So we wonder, what is SLO County waiting for?

After all, more and more medical experts are coming around to the idea that we all should be masking up when we’re out in public, which is a switch from early days when healthy people were advised not to wear masks.

As more is learned about COVID-19, the advantages of wearing some sort of face covering are becoming more apparent.

Fabric masks can help prevent the spread of the disease by catching droplets that spew out of the wearers’ noses or mouths, especially when they cough or sneeze. That’s important, because coronavirus is spread by respiratory droplets.

Ideally, of course, people who are infected with coronavirus would be quarantined — not out grocery shopping or picking up a pizza.

But many people are infected without even realizing it. They may have no symptoms at all or very mild symptoms that appear to be garden-variety allergies or colds.

It’s those silent carriers that have health officials worried, because they don’t necessarily have to even cough or sneeze to spread the disease. “Animated talking” or even breathing heavily can do it, Borenstein said.

On top of that, some researchers are now questioning whether six feet is a large enough social distancing gap to keep us safe.

If that turns out to be the case, wearing a mask is a smart precautionary measure, as well as a courtesy to those around us, and it will be more effective if we all follow the recommendation.

One big caveat: The general public should not be using the N95 masks that are so scarce right now, or the flat surgical masks. Those should be reserved for medical professionals on the front lines.

San Luis Obispo County has done an excellent job of communicating that — so much so that any lay person wandering around in an N95 would probably risk a public shaming.

Also, more and more sellers are only allowing hospitals or government agencies to purchase N95 masks.

Fabric masks that are both washable and reusable are a good alternative for the general public.

You can make one yourself; there are plenty of mask-making tutorials and instructions online, and not all of them require sewing.

There also are masks for sale on craft sites such as Etsy. And if any San Luis Obispo County mask-makers have some for sale, let us know and we’ll pass on the information.

Remember, DIY masks don’t replace hand washing or social distancing — those remain the primary “weapons” in this battle against COVID-19.

But if simple cloth face masks offer another layer of protection against this awful virus that’s claiming far too many lives, it makes sense for public health authorities to speak with one voice in recommending them.

This story was originally published April 4, 2020 at 5:00 AM.