--- title: Can Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus? What Experts Say 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... canonical: https://time.com/5774521/coronavirus-face-mask-prevention/ author: Mahita Gajanan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2020-01-31T16:48:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-12T19:45:40.000Z article:section: Health og:title: Can Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus? Experts Say That Depends og: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... og:url: https://time.com/5774521/coronavirus-face-mask-prevention/ og:site_name: TIME og: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 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: covid-19-face-masks og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Can Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus? Experts Say That Depends twitter: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... twitter: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 ---  # Can Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus? Experts Say That Depends by [Mahita Gajanan](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Dec 12, 2023 7:45 PM UTCPublished: Jan 31, 2020 4:48 PM UTC  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](https://time.com/author/mahita-gajanan/) ## Mahita Gajanan Gajanan is an editor at TIME. Updated: Dec 12, 2023 7:45 PM UTCPublished: Jan 31, 2020 4:48 PM UTC 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/) 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), 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. 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