Updated February 2, 2021
People are now spreading recently mutated, more contagious coronavirus strains around the United States, and the most infectious strains will rapidly become dominant. With this reality, it is time to improve our face coverings, say many infectious disease experts. “We need to double down on public health measures more than ever,” emphasizes Thomas A. Russo, MD, professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases. Wearing face coverings outside our homes largely deprives the virus of new hosts. “If we could get everyone in the world to wear masks for four weeks, the virus would have nowhere to go,” says Russo.