Coronavirus: CDC Recommends Wearing Face Coverings [POLL]

NEW YORK — Mask or no mask? That is the question. U.S. Health officials have been going back and forth on whether the public should wear something over their faces to possibly help slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that people in the U.S. should wear face coverings, which is a reversal of his administration's previous recommendations, the Washington Post reported. The president, however, said he personally would not be following that advice.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added a recommendation regarding face coverings to its website.

CDC officials said the wearing of face coverings were especially meant for "areas of significant community-based transmission."

While the agency said it was critical to maintain 6-feet social distancing to slow the virus' spread, it was advising "the use of simple cloth face coverings" to help people who may have the virus and don't know it from transmitting it to others.

The CDC said the face coverings being recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Health officials said those "must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders."

The internet is full of videos and other instructions on how to make your own mask.

Depending on your skill level and access to a sewing machine, face coverings can be made out of bandanas, scarves, handkerchiefs or, in the case of my family, an old University of Texas T-shirt.

So now it's time for you to weigh in on the issue. Vote in our unscientific poll and tell us why in the comments.