The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently encouraged people to wear masks as the holiday season approaches to aid in preventing flu, COVID-19 and RSV.
Here’s what you need to know about how long and how many times you can wear those masks.
How long should I wear a mask after testing positive for COVID-19?
According to the CDC, regardless of your vaccination status, if you have no symptoms after staying home for five days, you should wear a mask around others for five more days.
The same guidelines apply, if you have been exposed to COVID-19 and are unvaccinated. They also apply, if you have only received your primary series of vaccinations for Pfizer and Moderna more than six months ago or the Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than two months ago.
If you can’t stay home for five days or have already received your COVID-19 booster, the CDC recommends masking up for 10 days.
How many times and how long can you wear a KN95 mask? Does the same thing apply to cloth masks?
You should use a different KN95 disposable mask every day so you do not wear the same mask more than once in a 72-hour period.
Feel free to reuse a KN95 mask more than once as long as it is not soiled or visibly damaged. When these masks are not in use, they should go in a paper bag to keep bacteria from growing on it.
You can reuse cloth and fabric masks can, but you should wash them after each use.
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Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.