1. Metro

Don’t buy a face mask to combat coronavirus; you probably don’t need it

   Updated Feb 14, 2020; Posted Feb 14, 2020
   Coronavirus

   Residents wearing masks wait at a traffic light in Beijing, China
   Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020. The CDC does not recommend that the American
   public wear face masks, as coronavirus is not spreading in communities
   here. (Ng Han Guan, AP Photo)AP
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   CLEVELAND, Ohio — As concern over the novel coronavirus deepens, the
   CDC said Wednesday it has seen an increase in demand for face masks and
   certain respirators.

   It wants to get a message out: There’s no need for the American general
   public to wear a mask. The coronavirus isn’t currently spreading across
   American communities. There have been 15 cases in the United States, so
   far, mostly among people who visited Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the
   viral outbreak. Ohio has no confirmed cases.

   Another concern: if everyone starts wearing masks, the supply could run
   out, said Dr. Elie Anthony Saade at University Hospitals. Those
   supplies need to be available to healthcare workers and people with
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   Coronavirus patients or people who may have coronavirus but are not
   hospitalized need to wear a mask around other people or in a healthcare
   provider’s office, according to the CDC. If they’re alone in their
   home, there’s no reason for them to wear a mask.

   People in close contact with coronavirus patients or a people who may
   have coronavirus should wear a face mask if that person isn’t wearing a
   mask, and they’re if in the same room with them.

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