Coronavirus in Florida podcast: Should we have been wearing face masks all along?

When coronavirus cases first started popping up in Florida and around the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health officials repeatedly advised that healthy people should not wear masks.

And as it stands today, that’s still the guidance listed on the CDC’s website. But will that change soon?

In the last week, some of the nation’s top doctors have confirmed that the United States is in fact looking into whether the public should wear face masks.

Most recently, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams told NBC’s TODAY show that he asked the CDC to look at it’s guidelines because “we now know there is a significant amount of asymptomatic spread.”

If you recall, Adams is the same guy who tweeted this in late February.

To get a better understanding of why this is happening now, Coronavirus in Florida host Allison Graves talked with Dr. Marissa Levine, a professor of Public Health and Family Medicine at the University of South Florida.

We don’t have a set schedule for the Coronavirus in Florida podcast, but we will publish more episodes in the coming weeks. You can listen to the latest episode by clicking the “play” button in the audio player above or by downloading it on your favorite podcast platform.

• • •

Tampa Bay Times coronavirus coverage

GET THE DAYSTARTER MORNING UPDATE: Sign up to receive the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 and Tampa Bay, six days a week

UNEMPLOYMENT Q&A: We answer your questions about Florida unemployment benefits

CONTRIBUTE TO THE SCRAPBOOK: Help us tell the story of life under coronavirus

MEET THE HELPERS: Highlighting Tampa Bay’s everyday heroes in this crisis

FOLLOW OUR COVERAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook. Instagram. Twitter. Reddit.

LISTEN TO THE CORONAVIRUS PODCAST: New episodes every week, including interviews with experts and reporters

HAVE A TIP?: Send us confidential news tips

We’re working hard to bring you the latest news on the coronavirus in Florida. This effort takes a lot of resources to gather and update. If you haven’t already subscribed, please consider buying a print or digital subscription.