Following an official recommendation to US citizens to wear a face covering as a voluntary public health measure, the CDC has made a tutorial video for making a mask at home – and it's incredibly simple.

In the video above, Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams shows how to make a face mask using household items such as a cloth, bandana or T-shirt, and two rubber bands or hair ties in less than 30 seconds.

This video follows some initial skepticism from the CDC about the efficacy of non-medical grade face masks but new evidence now suggests that a face covering can be an effective measure to prevent transmission. Their website recommends "wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission."

This new information comes after studies showed that "a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms. This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms."

The CDC also recognizes that face masks are not 100 percent effective and notes that a face covering must be worn in conjunction with other social distancing practices, and not as a substitute.