The great mask race

Hospitals are reusing them, crafters are making them, and Apple is buying them by the millions. Everyone needs a mask, according to the latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On Friday, the agency said the general public should wear homemade face coverings and save medical-grade supplies for healthcare workers. Apple CEO Tim Cook said Sunday his company had access to potentially 20 million masks. It plans to deliver 1 million per week to the places that need them most. On Thursday, President Donald Trump blocked the Minnesota-based 3M corporation and its subsidiaries from exporting N95 masks.

Do cloth masks really help? They can keep people who have COVID-19—but either don’t know it yet or don’t have severe symptoms—from passing it on. Cloth masks also serve as a visual reminder to people of the other precautions they should take, like not touching their faces and keeping 6 feet away from others.

Dig deeper: Listen to Jenny Lind Schmitt’s report about homemade masks on The World and Everything in It.