West Coast states are experiencing some of the worst wildfires on record amid the most infectious pandemic in a century. An epidemic of misinformation hurts efforts to combat the natural disasters.
An post on Facebook juxtaposes a statement about the average size of coronavirus and wildfire smoke particulates with a screen-grabbed CDC tweet that cloth face masks “do not catch small particles found in wildfire smoke that can harm your health.”
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There are red lines drawn between the numbers and the CDC statement to connect the two. The implication appears to be that face masks do not protect against either coronavirus or wildfire particulates, as viral particles are on average smaller – at “0.12-0.3 microns” – than smoke – “at 0.7-0.4 microns.” USA TODAY was unable to reach the poster of the image for comment.
The claim misinterprets why cloth masks are ineffective against wildfire smoke, as well as why they are useful in slowing the spread of the coronavirus.
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Masks, respirators and wildfire smoke
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized that cloth masks are not effective at protecting people from inhaling wildfire smoke. The agency urges people to refrain from being outside and risking exposure to heavy particulates.
“Cloth masks that are used to slow the spread of COVID-19 by blocking respiratory droplets offer little protection against wildfire smoke,” an agency blog entry reads. “They do not catch small, harmful particles in smoke that can harm your health.”
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The CDC notes that higher-quality “N95 respirators do provide protection from wildfire smoke” but that “they might be in short supply as front-line health care workers use them during the pandemic.”
The Environmental Protection Agency says “people who must be outside for extended periods of time” during fires “may benefit from using a tight-fitting N95 or P100 respirator to reduce their exposure.”
Properly worn respirators are a strong enough filter to stop smoke particles from entering a person’s lungs, where ash, smog and other compounds can inflict serious harm.
For many people living near wildfires, the smoke is inescapable. Air quality in many regions on the West Coast has reached toxic levels.
“My advice to the public is that people should be sheltering in place as much as possible,” said John Balmes, a professor of medicine at the University of California-San Francisco. “Stay home with windows closed, ventilation turned to recirculate, and if possible, have a clean air room with a HEPA air purifying appliance.”
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Cloth masks, coronavirus and wildfires
Cloth masks and other nonmedical-grade face coverings aren’t the best way to stop a person from inhaling infectious particles and droplets. Rather, face coverings are widely mandated because they make it more difficult for infected people to spread the virus.
“Masks are recommended as a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the mask coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice. This is called source control,” the CDC says in its guidelines.
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SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, is mostly spread through droplets and other particulates, which people share by coughing, sneezing, singing, talking or yelling.
Though cloth masks are only marginally effective at stopping viral particles from being inhaled, they are more effective at stopping people from putting more particles into their environment.
When large majorities wear face masks, the aggregate effect can seriously slow the spread of a respiratory disease such as COVID-19.
“COVID-19 can be spread by people who do not have symptoms and do not know that they are infected. That’s why it’s important for everyone to wear masks in public settings and practice social distancing,” the CDC emphasizes.
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Scientists are still debating how effective cloth masks are at protecting an individual.
Though slowing contagion is the true value of simple face coverings, researchers say cloth masks provide some protection against coronavirus; they’re just uncertain how much.
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A complicated public messaging campaign
Face masks have been the subject of confusion and scrutiny during the coronavirus pandemic. In the USA, this has partly come from mixed messaging from government agencies such as the CDC, as well as the Trump administration.
Public guidelines urging the wearing of face masks have evolved over the course of the pandemic. Health officials, aware of how most widely available masks don’t provide the personal protection that medical-grade respirators offer, were hesitant to encourage widespread mask-wearing.
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The CDC reversed messaging when it became apparent that Americans could make and wear enough cloth masks to slow the virus’s spread.
West Coast officials are concerned that many won’t distinguish between symptoms from exposure to wildfire smoke and COVID-19.
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The CDC and state public health departments issued guidelines for how to distinguish between the symptoms, measures to protect against smoke and coronavirus and advice that people should support each other in this time of crisis.
“Some people most vulnerable to wildfire smoke, like those over 65 or with preexisting conditions, are also those most at risk for serious impacts from COVID-19. Check on your neighbors and make sure they know how to keep the air clean in their homes,” a Medium post from the Washington Department of Health reads.
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Our ruling: Missing context
Cloth masks are not granular enough to protect against smoke and airborne particles from the wildfires gripping the Western USA, according to CDC guidelines. The CDC and other agencies still endorse masks for slowing the spread of COVID-19 because of their usefulness if widely adopted. N95 respirators and similar-quality personal protective equipment protect against both wildfire smoke and coronavirus particles but are reserved for health care workers and first responders. We rate this claim as MISSING CONTEXT, based on our research.
Our fact check sources:
CDC, Wildfire Smoke and COVID-19
EPA, Wildfire Smoke Factsheet: Protect Your Lungs from Wildfire Smoke or Ash
USDA, Wildfire Smoke and COVID-19 FAQ
USA TODAY, Sept. 14, 2020, Wildfires burned millions of acres across the West. See what that looks like
UCSF, Aug. 21, 2020, What to Know About Wildfire Smoke and COVID-19
CDC, Aug. 7, 2020, Considerations for Wearing Masks
USA TODAY, July 18, 2020, WHO agrees with more than 200 medical experts that COVID-19 may spread via the air
Emerging Infectious Diseases, July 22, 2020, Effectiveness of Cloth Masks for Protection Against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
USA TODAY, July 5, 2020, The White House has sent conflicting messages on wearing masks and the new coronavirus cases
The Verge, April 3, 2020, Masks may be good, but the messaging around them has been very bad
USA TODAY, April 3, 2020, Coronavirus live updates: Cloth masks in public now recommended; US death toll passes 7,100; nation lost 701K jobs in March
CDC, June 5, 2020, Wildfire Smoke and COVID-19: Frequently Asked Questions and Resources for Air Resource Advisors and Other Environmental Health Professionals
Washington State Dept. of Health on Medium, Sept. 10, 2020, Wildfire smoke & COVID-19 are a bad mix
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Our fact check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.
Signs thanking firefighters hang on the fence at Holiday Farm Fire Incident Command Post at Thurston Middle School in Springfield, Oregon on September, 14, 2020 which was shrouded in a mix of fog and smoke.
Multiple agencies coordinate Monday, September 14, 2020 to defend Camp Nelson and areas along Highway 190 east of Springville from the SQF Complex Fire. The fire has also lead to a partial closure of Sequoia National Park.
The melted sign for the Oak Park Motel stands at the entrance of the property destroyed by the flames of the Beachie Creek Fire east of Salem, Ore. on Sept. 13, 2020. The wildfire caused the evacuation of 40,000 residents, killing four people and five are still missing.
Mill Creek Hotshots set a backfire to protect homes during the Bobcat Fire on September 13, 2020 in Arcadia, Calif. California wildfires that have already incinerated a record 2.3 million acres this year and are expected to continue till December. The Bobcat Fire, burning in the San Gabriel Mountains, has grown to about 32,000 acres and is only 6% contained.
Shayanne Summers holds her dog Toph while wrapped in a blanket after several days of staying in a tent at an evacuation center at the Milwaukie-Portland Elks Lodge, Sept. 13, 2020, in Oak Grove, Ore. “It’s nice enough here you could almost think of this as camping and forget everything else, almost,” said Summers about staying at the center after evacuating from near Molalla, Oregon which was threatened by the Riverside Fire.
The remnants of several homes destroyed by the Beachie Creek Fire east of Salem, Ore. on Sept. 13, 2020.
A chicken wanders through charred remains from the Beachie Creek Fire near the destroyed Oregon Department of Forestry, North Cascade District Office in Lyons, Ore. on Sept. 13, 2020.
Charred vehicles sit inside a burned auto-repair shop outside Medford, Oregon, following the passage of the Almeda fire.
Scott Coash, left, carries a cooler, hand sanitizer and a handgun as he walks into his evacuated neighborhood with his wife Cindy and their dog Bella, near Medford, Oregon, following the passage of the Almeda fire.
Harlan Brooks, left, recovers the remains of a vintage sewing machine that belonged to is partner Katie Fawkes, right, from the rubble of the home they shared in Talent, Ore. Sept. 12, 2020.
A firefighter keeps watch on flames that could jump the Angeles Crest Highway at the Bobcat Fire in the Angeles National Forest on September 11, 2020 north of Monrovia, California.
Kailiana Kroeker wears a respirator while during a visit to donation site at Silke Field in Springfield, Oregon on September, 11, 2020. Air quality continued to be hazardous in the region due to wildfire smoke.
The devastation is widespread: The Holiday Farm Fire left burned-out vehicles outside a shop in Nimrod, Ore.
Lindsie Cline (right) hugs her sister-in-law Brittany Cline from Leaburg, Ore. at an evacuation center at Springfield High in Springfield, Ore. on Sept. 10, 2020 after their families fled the flames of the Holiday Farm Fire.
Dora Negrete, right, and her husband Marcelino Rocha, left, and son Hector Rocha console each other after seeing their destroyed mobile home at the Talent Mobile Estates as wildfires devastate the region on Sept. 10, 2020 in Talent, Ore.
Volunteer firefighter Dave White looks on after losing his home in a fire, in Gates, Oregon, on Sept. 10, 2020. California firefighters battled the state’s largest ever inferno as tens of thousands of people fled blazes up and down the U.S. West Coast and officials warned the death toll could shoot up in coming days.
Firefighters work on mopping up a back burn near Leaburg, Ore on Sept. 10, 2020. A dearth of resources has hampered the fight against the Holiday Farm Fire.
A couple, who declined to give their names, embrace while touring in an area devastated by the Almeda Fire, Sept. 10, 2020, in Phoenix, Ore.
Mormon Lake Hotshots firefighter Sara Sweeney uses a drip torch to set a backfire to protect mountain communities from the Bobcat Fire in the Angeles National Forest on Sept. 10, 2020 north of Monrovia, Calif.
A charred vehicle is seen in the parking lot of the burned Oak Park Motel after the passage of the Santiam Fire in Gates, Ore., on Sept. 10, 2020.
Bethany Bravery (right) prays with a volunteer at an evacuation site for the Holiday Farm Fire at Springfield High in Springfield, Ore. on Sept. 10, 2020.
Members of the Mormon Hot Shots from Arizona lay hose line down rugged terrain off Highway 39 near Crystal Lake in front of the Bobcat Fire, which has burned more than 23,000 acres, Sept. 10, 2020.
Community donations of clothing, shoes, food and living supplies are available for evacuees from the Holiday Farm Fire at Springfield High in Springfield, Ore. on Sept. 10, 2020.
Patrick Kenefick, left, and Dana Williams, both of Mill Valley, Calif., record the darkened Golden Gate Bridge covered with smoke from wildfires, Sept. 9, 2020, from a pier at Fort Baker near Sausalito, Calif. The photo was taken at 9:47 a.m. in the morning.
Flames lick above vehicles on Highway 162 as the Bear Fire burns in Oroville, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2020.
Smoke from California wildfires obscures the sky over Oracle Park as the Seattle Mariners take batting practice before their baseball game against the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 9, 2020, in San Francisco.
In this image taken with a slow shutter speed, embers light up a hillside behind the Bidwell Bar Bridge as the Bear Fire burns in Oroville, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2020. The blaze, part of the lightning-sparked North Complex, expanded at a critical rate of spread as winds buffeted the region.
Remnants of homes, cars, bicycles and street signs litter the path left by the Creek Fire in Big Creek, Calif., on Tuesday, Sep. 8, 2020. The Creek Fire has destroyed over 50 homes between Huntington Lake and Shaver Lake. As of Wednesday morning the fire has consumed over 150,000 acres and 65 structures, and is at 0% containment. Over 1,000 personnel are assigned to the Creek Fire.
Wind and flames leap high in the air as a home near Shaver Lake, Calif., is being consumed by the fire on Sunday, Sep. 6, 2020. The fire has destroyed over 160,000 acres and remains at 0% containment.
A melted slide smolders as a playground continues to burn at Pine Ridge school during the Creek fire in an unincorporated area of Fresno County, California on September 08, 2020. – Wildfires in California have torched a record more than two million acres, the state fire department said on September 7, as smoke hampered efforts to airlift dozens of people trapped by an uncontrolled blaze.
Butte County firefighters watch as flames quickly spread across a road at the Bear fire in Oroville, California on September 9, 2020. – Dangerous dry winds whipped up California’s record-breaking wildfires and ignited new blazes, as hundreds were evacuated by helicopter and tens of thousands were plunged into darkness by power outages across the western United States.
Brian Fowlie, a volunteer firefighter and North Fork resident closes his eyes as he rest his body on a utility pole in the Cascadel Woods neighborhood in Madera County on Monday, Sep. 7, 2020.
A look at the Creek Fire fro the Cascadel Woods neighborhood in Madera County on Monday, Sep. 7, 2020. As of Tuesday morning the fire has consumed over 140,000 acres and has over 1,000 personnel working on putting out the fire.
A State Trooper leave the Oregon State Capitol as a combination of high winds and multiple wildfires cause smoke, poor air quality and low visibility at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem, Oregon on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020.
The sky glows red as ash floats through the air in Stayton, Oregon on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. Many residents are preparing to evacuate.
Kristin Croker, with her dog Jacob, looks up at the sky as smoke from the Creek Fire fills the air Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, in Shaver Lake, Calif. Croker was among a group of campers being held in a marina in Shaver Lake as roads were deemed impassable due to the Creek Fire.
A home is engulfed in flames during the “Creek Fire” in the Tollhouse area of unincorporated Fresno County, California early on September 8, 2020. – Wildfires in California have torched a record more than two million acres, the state fire department said on September 7, as smoke hampered efforts to airlift dozens of people trapped by an uncontrolled blaze.
Creek Fire burns near Shaver Lake on Sunday, September 6, 2020.
Workers spray lake water over boats as Creek Fire burns near Shaver Lake on Sunday, September 6, 2020.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, center, tours the fire damage to Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, in Boulder Creek, Calif.
Aerial fire crews attack the Sequoia Fire behind a back fire on Thursday, August 27, 2020. The unconfined Sequoia Fire has burned more than 20,000 acres in the Golden Trout Wilderness area.
Tulare County Fire Department works in Forks of the Kern Trailhead during the Sequoia Fire on Thursday, August 27, 2020. The Sequoia Fire has burned more than 20,000 acres in the Golden Trout Wilderness area.
A fire-ravaged neighborhood is seen Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Boulder Creek, Calif., after the the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire passed by.
A thank you sign is posted along Empire Grade Rd. Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020, in Bonny Doon, Calif., after the the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire passed by.
A ‘Vaca Strong’ message is painted onto a burned hillside during the LNU Lightning Complex fire in Vacaville, California on August 24, 2020.
A burned residence is seen during the LNU Lightning Complex fire in Vacaville, California on August 24, 2020.
Fire burns in the hollow of an old-growth redwood tree after the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire passed through Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Calif.
Flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires leap above Butts Canyon Rd. on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020, in Lake County, Calif.
Howard Forest Helitack firefighters return to their helicopter after battling the LNU Lightning Complex on Aug. 23 in unincorporated Lake County, Calif.
Firefighters watch flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in the Berryessa Estates neighborhood of unincorporated Napa County, Calif., on Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. The blaze forced thousands to flee and destroyed hundreds of homes and other structures.
The shell of a burned-out car along Pleasant Valley Road near Winters, Calif., on Aug. 21, 2020.
This combination of handout satellite images released by Maxar Technologies created on August 21, 2020 shows a large area covered in thick smoke (top) and the same area seen by high-resolution shortwave infrared (SWIR) satellite (bottom) showing burned vegetation appearing in a rust/orange color while healthy vegetation appears in shades of blue and active fires from the CZU Lightning Complex Wildfire burning glow orange/yellow in the Santa Cruz mountains, Calif. on Aug. 21, 2020. Thick smoke blanketed large areas of central and northern California on August 21 as more people fled some of the biggest fires in the state’s history which have raged largely uncontrolled through the week. Fire officials said lightning strikes had ignited 560 fires in the past week, the largest of which are the LNU, the SCU and CZU complex fires in the Bay Area.
Firefighter monitor the advance of the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire in the backyard of a home Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Boulder Creek, Calif.
Melted wall siding sits along Pleasants Valley Road in Solano County, Calif. on Friday, Aug. 21, 2020. The LNU Lightning Complex fire has destroyed nearly 500 structures and has burned more than 20,000 acres.
Firefighters battle the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire in the backyard of a home Friday, Aug. 21, 2020, in Boulder Creek, Calif.
A firefighter watches the LNU Lightning Complex Fire spread through the Berryessa Estates neighborhood of unincorporated Napa County, Calif., on Aug. 21. The blaze forced thousands to flee and destroyed hundreds of homes and other structures.
Local residents sit next to a vineyard as they watch the LNU Lightning Complex fire burning in nearby hills on August 20, 2020 in Healdsburg, California. The LNU Lightning Complex fire is spread over 5 counties and has burned over 130,000 acres. The out-of-control wildfire has destroyed at least 50 homes and is zero percent contained.
Peter Koleckar is overwhelmed by the sight of multiple homes burned in his neighborhood after the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire passed through Aug. 20 in Bonny Doon, Calif.
Flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires burn in unincorporated Napa County, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. The blaze went on to destroy multiple homes near Lake Berryessa. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of wildfires sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues.
A Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems (MAFFS) equipped C-130 aircraft drops retardant ahead of the LNU Lightning Complex fire on August 20, 2020 in Healdsburg, California. The LNU Lightning Complex fire is spread over 5 counties and has burned over 130,000 acres. The out-of-control wildfire has destroyed at least 50 homes and is zero percent contained.
Flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires consume a home in unincorporated Napa County, Calif., on Aug. 19, 2020. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of wildfires sparked by lightning strikes.
Flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires jump Interstate 80 in Vacaville, Calif., Aug. 19, 2020. The highway was closed in both directions shortly afterward.
Docked boats burn on Lake Berryessa during the LNU Lightning Complex Fire in Napa, Calif., on Aug. 19.
Flames and smoke overtake a tree as the LNU Lightning Complex fire continues to spread in Fairfield, California on Aug. 19, 2020.
Fire crews maintain a backburn to control the River Fire near the Las Palmas neighborhood in Salinas, Calif., Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Nic Coury) ORG XMIT: CANC112
FAIRFIELD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 19: An alpaca sits next to a burned out truck after the LNU Lightning Complex fire moved through the area on August 19, 2020 in Fairfield, California. The LNU Lightning Complex fire is spread over 5 counties and has burned over 124,000 acres. The out-of-control wildfire has destroyed at least 50 homes and is zero percent contained. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 775548296 ORIG FILE ID: 1267276291
Members of the Grizzly Firefighters work against the Carmel Fire near Carmel Valley, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020.
Firefighter Ian Johnson watches as an air tanker drops retardant to keep the River Fire from reaching a home in Salinas, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of blazes sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues.
Inmate firefighters rest during a break from working against the River Fire in Salinas, Calif., Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of blazes sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues.
Inmate firefighters rest during a break from battling the River Fire in Salinas, Calif., Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of blazes sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues.
Inmate firefighters rest during a break from battling the River Fire in Salinas, Calif., Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of blazes sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues.
A plume rises over a vineyard in unincorporated Napa County as the Hennessey Fire burns on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of blazes sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues.
An inmate firefighter rests during a break from battling the River Fire in Salinas, Calif., Monday, Aug. 17, 2020. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of blazes sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues.
A helicopter carrying water to drop on the the Carmel Fire flies over Georis Winery near Carmel Valley, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020.
A vehicle drives along Knoxville Road, with flames from the LNU Lightning Complex in the background Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020, in Napa County, Calif. The blaze went on to destroy multiple homes near Lake Berryessa. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of blazes sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues.
Jerry Kuny sprays water on a home as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020, in unincorporated Napa County, Calif. This home remained standing as main front passed although the fire went on to destroy multiple residences.
Seen in a long exposure photograph, embers burn along a hillside as the LNU Lightning Complex fires tear through unincorporated Napa County, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of wildfires sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues.
An orange, smoke-filled sky from the Jones Fire silhouettes Highway 49 on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020, near Grass Valley, Calif.
Members of the Grizzly Firefighters fight the Carmel Fire near Carmel Valley, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020.
An outbuilding burns as the LNU Lightning Complex fires tear through the Spanish Flat area of unincorporated Napa County, Calif., on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of wildfires sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues.
An air tanker drops retardant as the LNU Lightning Complex fires tear through the Spanish Flat community in unincorporated Napa County, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of wildfires sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues.
Bill Nichols, 84, works to save his home as the LNU Lightning Complex fires tear through Vacaville, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Nichols has lived in the home for 77 years. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of wildfires sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues.
A firefighter holds a hose on Cachagua Road as he and colleagues work against the Carmel Fire near Carmel Valley, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020.
Burned vehicles rest beneath a tree after the LNU Lightning Complex fires tore through Vacaville, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2020. Fire crews across the region scrambled to contain dozens of wildfires sparked by lightning strikes as a statewide heat wave continues.
Smoke from wildfires hangs over San Francisco, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. Thousands of people are under orders to evacuate regions around the San Francisco Bay Area as nearly 40 wildfires blaze throughout the state. Smoke has blanketed the city of San Francisco and California is coping with a blistering heat wave.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Cloth masks ineffective against wildfire smoke, still slow spread of COVID-19
Video: Coronavirus survivors talk about symptoms following recovery (WUSA-TV Washington, D.C.)
Coronavirus survivors talk about symptoms following recovery
