Ditch the cloth mask — or at least double up — say Bay Area health officials

With the omicron coronavirus variant sweeping across the Bay Area and California, it's time to upgrade your face mask , or at least double down on safer masking habits, San Francisco 's health officer said Tuesday. That means ditching your plain cloth mask and using high-quality medical grade face coverings. "Cloth masks are least effective right now during omicron," said S.F. Health Officer Dr. Susan Philip at a briefing Tuesday, echoing messaging from the state's health department and national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The omicron variant is believed to be three times as infectious as the delta version of the coronavirus and transmissible even by people who are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Bay Area residents should upgrade to high-quality N95 or KN95 masks, the experts say. If medical grade face coverings are hard to find, people should layer a cloth mask over a surgical mask for increased protection, Philip said. With case rates skyrocketing to all-time pandemic highs in California and the region, upgrading your mask strategy can reduce the risk of catching any version of the virus. Here's what Bay Area experts say you should know. Should I upgrade my mask? The post-holiday COVID surge… Read full this story

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