- American Airlines is the latest American carrier to ban masks with valves or valves on them, in accordance with updated CDC guidelines.
- Masks with valves allow exhaled air to flow unhindered through the vents, which could mean that respiratory drops with COVID-19 virus can reach others.
- In general, passengers can still wear valid masks if they cover them with a second, non-ventilated mask.
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American Airlines on Thursday became the last airline to ban passengers from wearing face masks that have valves or valves, a feature that some say makes the masks more comfortable, but which effectively eliminates their ability to spread COVID. 19 to stop.
American said the new policy of Wednesday, August 19, will take effect. Face coats with one-way valves allow air to be exhaled without passing through any filter or barrier, allowing respiratory droplets with the COVID-19 virus to draw in the air and potentially reach others. Alaska, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, and United have all made the same move.
The changes reflect guidelines that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated last week to say that ventilated masks “do not prevent the person wearing the mask from transmitting COVID-19 to others.”
“Effective coverage, well-worn, is one of the best ways we can control the spread of COVID-19 to protect our team members and customers,” Alison Taylor, the U.S. Attorney General, said in a press release. “Since America began demanding face coverage in early May, the vast majority of customers have refrained from our sustained efforts to strengthen policies based on CDC guidance.”
While Americans searched early in the pandemic for protective equipment, many face coverings with valves circulated. These masks are typically aimed at hot as dusty construction, where exhaled air poses no danger. Which means they’re protecting the people who wear them, not just anyone else.
N95s and other masks made for medical establishments have no valves. Public health experts advise wearing such masks to prevent respiratory droplets and aerosols containing the virus from spreading into the air from infected people, although masks may also have a degree of direct protection for the wearer.
Americans said that masks made of porous fabrics such as mesh or lace would also be banned. Masks must also cover the nose and mouth of passengers, and can only be removed briefly during food or drink on board a flight.
On most airlines, passengers can wear a protective, ventilated mask if they cover it with a disposable, non-vented mask.
