--- description: A previous version of this article was based on expert guidance at the time of publication, but as the COVID-19 pandemic has grown in the... title: Can Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus? Experts Say That Depends image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt165c96a784e15883/698a0c6ab3fce30f7b0c6915/covid-19-face-masks.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [COVID-19](/tag/covid-19/) ## COVID-19 Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Can Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus? Experts Say That Depends by [Mahita Gajanan](/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Dec 12, 2023 7:45 PM CUTPublished: Jan 31, 2020 4:48 PM CUT  A woman wearing a protective mask carries a toilet paper package on the street on March 13, 2020 in New York City. A woman wearing a protective mask carries a toilet paper package on the street on March 13, 2020 in New York City.Jeenah Moon—Getty Images by [Mahita Gajanan](/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Dec 12, 2023 7:45 PM CUTPublished: Jan 31, 2020 4:48 PM CUT A previous version of this article was based on expert guidance at the time of publication, but as the [COVID-19](https://time.com/5814438/iron-lung-ventilator-ford/ "undefined") pandemic has grown in the U.S. in recent weeks, public health thinking around wearing face masks has changed. On March 30, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it was reviewing its [guidelines for face masks](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html "undefined"), citing data showing that COVID-19 can be spread by people who are infected but not exhibiting symptoms. Then, on April 3, President Donald Trump announced that the CDC is changing its guidance to include a recommendation that all Americans wear non-medical masks, or fabric that covers a person’s face and nose, when they leave their house. [_For details on the latest science and public health guidance around face masks and coronavirus, click here._](https://time.com/5815251/should-you-wear-a-mask-coronavirus/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5774521/coronavirus-face-mask-prevention/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5774521/coronavirus-face-mask-prevention/"},"headline":"Can Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus? Experts Say That Depends","datePublished":"2020-01-31T16:48:19.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-12T19:45:40.000Z","description":"A previous version of this article was based on expert guidance at the time of publication, but as the COVID-19 pandemic has grown in the...","url":"https://time.com/5774521/coronavirus-face-mask-prevention/","keywords":["COVID-19","Infectious Disease","onetime","UnitedWeRise20Disaster"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt165c96a784e15883/698a0c6ab3fce30f7b0c6915/covid-19-face-masks.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mahita Gajanan","jobTitle":"Gajanan is an editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt165c96a784e15883/698a0c6ab3fce30f7b0c6915/covid-19-face-masks.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"covid-19-face-masks","caption":"covid-19-face-masks","creditText":"Jeenah Moon—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/covid-19/","name":"COVID-19"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5774521/coronavirus-face-mask-prevention/","name":"Can Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus? Experts Say That Depends"}}]}] ```