(bloomberg.com) – The U.S. Surgeon General urged people to “stop buying masks,” saying on Twitter that they’re not effective in preventing the general public from catching coronavirus.
“The best way to protect yourself and your community is with everyday preventive actions, like staying home when you are sick and washing hands with soap and water, to help slow the spread of respiratory illness,” Jerome M. Adams said in a tweet.
He encouraged people to get flu shots, saying fewer flu patients means more resources for fighting the virus.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the way Saturday for some laboratories to conduct diagnostic tests on the virus before an emergency process is fully approved.
The FDA issued guidance to help rapidly expand testing capacity using molecular coronavirus diagnostic examinations. For a period of time while labs submit formal applications, the FDA doesn’t intend to object to the tests for specimen testing, according to a statement.