What are the Current Masking Guidelines?

Newly updated national mask guidelines were released on 5/1/20, based on the expert consensus of the Kaiser Permanente Inter-Regional Infectious Disease leaders. The guidelines continue to be based on droplet precautions. The coronavirus is generally transmitted when someone touches surfaces onto which infected people have dispersed their droplets through their touch, coughs, or sneezes. The guidelines contain 5 mask categories: N95 Masks or PAPR/CAPR; Surgical Masks; Isolation/Procedure Masks; KP-issued “Cover Your Cough Masks; and Personal Masks from home (for patients and visitors).  For more details, see the attached chart.