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CDC weighs recommending better masks against omicron variant

Agency is likely to say that people who can consistently wear N95 or KN95 masks, rather than cloth masks, should do so

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Updated January 11, 2022 at 8:07 p.m. EST|Published January 10, 2022 at 9:59 p.m. EST
Schoolteacher Carrie Landheer and other educators rally outside Oakland Unified School District headquarters in Oakland, Calif., on Jan. 7 to call for stronger coronavirus safety measures, including district-provided N95 masks. (Noah Berger/AP)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering updating its mask guidance to recommend that people opt for the highly protective N95 or KN95 masks worn by health-care personnel, if they can do so consistently, said an official close to the deliberations who was not authorized to speak publicly.

With the highly transmissible omicron variant spurring record levels of infections and hospitalizations, experts have repeatedly urged the Biden administration to recommend the better-quality masks rather than cloth coverings to protect against an airborne virus, and to underscore the importance of masking.