CDC: Masks don't just protect people around you from COVID-19, they help protect you

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The CDC now says wearing a mask or face-covering not only protects people around you, it also helps protect you from COVID-19.

The previous guidance said the main purpose of wearing a mask was to help protect people around you, but now, after reviewing data and looking at several high-risk scenarios, the CDC says the mask can also help protect the person wearing it.

It's not 100%, but even a cloth mask can help block respiratory droplets coming from other another person.

And when more people are wearing masks, it significantly cuts down on transmission, in some cases by up to 70%.

One of the scenarios the research points to is when two hair stylists had the infection, but were still working. Both the stylists and the clients kept masks on and all 67 clients remained negative for COVID-19.