The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a sweeping order late Friday requiring people to wear face masks on nearly all public transportation as the country continues to record thousands of COVID-19 deaths a day.

The order, which takes effect at 23: 59 EST Monday, requires all travelers to wear face masks on planes, ships, trains, subways, buses, taxis and ride-sharing centers, as well as at transportation hubs such as airports, bus or ferry terminals, train and subway stations and seaports.

This is an important step by the Biden administration to control the spread of COVID19. Face masks have been shown to reduce the spread of the virus. Although in Europe, where face masks have been mandatory for some time, we are seeing Germany come out and prescribe that the masks should be medical face masks such as Viromasks.

Will this happen in the US soon? probably; depending on the amount that is available for medical masks on the market. People usually think that medical masks are disposable; but there are some reusable masks that are as good as the medical masks. These masks usually have filters that can be removed. Remember; PM2.5 only filters pollution; corona virus is 0.1 UM in size. So these masks, which are relatively cheap, do not offer you protection from being infected with the virus. Also, read up on the filtration technology that the face mask producer is using.

When it comes to masks, there are two categories of masks at the top level:

1- Source control These are masks such as surgical masks and other high-quality fabric face masks. These masks do not protect the wearer; they protect others when the wearer is carrying the virus.

2- Respirator masks Respirators are the best possible protection. They have different standards worldwide. N95 in the USA, KN95 in China and FFP2 in Europe. ViroMasks Vault and Armor Masks are certified FFP2 masks.

So which mask is good for you? Comfort is inversely proportional to protection. You need to be mentally prepared to be uncomfortable when you need protection. Just like the seat belts. At first, they were very uncomfortable; then, as technology evolved, they evolved into relatively comfortable ones.

Likewise, disposable N95 or FFP2 masks are very uncomfortable, as seen in pictures of doctors suffering from scars under pressure. Viromasks that keep an eye on the normal person come first. Therefore, they are not only more convenient than disposable masks, but also have antimicrobial properties. This means that any viruses or germs that come into contact with the mask become ineffective. Viromasks have been tested at the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and neutralized 99.98% within the first 30 minutes after exposure.

We hope you choose your face masks wisely and stay safe on public transport.