SAN ANTONIO — After hearing talk that cloth masks aren’t effective against the omicron variant of the coronavirus, Chief Medical Officer of University Health Hospital Systems Bryan Alsip is setting the record straight.
“Masks remain one of the elements of our tool kits to help prevent infection and hopefully reduce transmission of COVID diseases,” Dr. Alsip said.
Dr. Alsip is talking about all types of masks.
“That ranges from the homemade cloth or fabric-based masks, all the way up to high filtration masks,” Dr. Alsip said.
The doctor says it’s not so much the type of mask you wear, but more so how you wear it.
“One of the things to emphasize that doesn’t get mentioned enough is making sure you have a very good seal for your mask, no matter what you’re using,” Dr. Alsip said.
Dr. Alsip says some masks are more effective than others, but at the end of the day, a mask is still effective against the coronavirus, no matter the strain.
“As we approach another period of holiday where people might be considering gathering, you need to keep that in consideration. Especially if you’re going to be in crowded areas or indoor space,” Dr. Alsip said.
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