Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: Covid-19 could be brought under control in one to two months if everyone wore a mask

The United States could get the spread of the novel coronavirus “under control” within a matter of weeks if everyone wore face coverings, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said Tuesday.

He said masks — which can act as a barrier for respiratory droplets that can be propelled into the air an infected person coughs, shouts or sneezes — are among the most effective measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

Redfield said he was “saddened” that the wearing of masks has become politicized.

“I think if we could get everybody to wear a mask right now, I think in four, six, eight weeks we could bring this epidemic under control,” Redfield said.

Both the CDC and the World Health Organization now recommend that people wear masks as a way to slow the spread of the virus, which has infected more than 13 million people worldwide and killed at least 574,600 as of Tuesday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Some researchers have suggested that the coronavirus could spread through aerosolized droplets, or particles that travel by air, particularly in poorly ventilated spaces

Last week, the WHO acknowledged that airborne transmission was possible mostly in closed spaces indoors, saying more research was needed to be certain.

If the virus does spread by air in such environments, masks could prove more critical to preventing infection.

Earlier in the day, the CDC released a new study that said state leaders should consider requiring face coverings to reduce the spread of the virus.

The study looked at two Missouri hair stylists who were infected with Covid-19 but didn’t pass it on to their clients.