Are homemade masks helpful?

[robila]

Americans are now advised to use clean cloth or fabric to cover their faces whilst in public. Officials say medical masks are in short supply and should be left for healthcare workers.

Only the sick, or those caring for patients of coronavirus, had previously been told to wear masks. But US officials hope the new rules could stop people without symptoms unknowingly spreading coronavirus.

However, reusable cloth masks are also not recommended and may even increase the chance of infection, say European advisers.

They say there is a high chance virus particles could go through cloth. Problems with moisture could also mean the cloth retains the virus, they warn.

The UK is not advising most people to wear either medical or homemade masks. Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the government is following medical and scientific advice on their use.

England's deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van Tam says he does not believe that healthy people wearing them in the UK would reduce the spread of the disease. "What matters now is social distancing," he says.

Despite this, there is lots of advice on how to make face masks online, with some sites suggesting the best options.

However, homemade masks are not regulated whereas officially-made ones have to meet safety requirements.