WHO Didn't Say Masks are Unnecessary for Healthy People

News emerged on social media that the WHO released in a news statement that healthy people do not need to wear masks to limit the spread of COVID-19 as it is not backed by scientific evidence as a preventative measure. In the wake of new COVID-19 variants, a news article and blog post has been widely circulating on social media. The news claims that the World Health Organisation (WHO) released a press announcement on 22 January admitting that “there is no scientific medical reason for any healthy person to wear a mask outside of a hospital.” The article also mentions and links quotes by Dr. Mike Ryan,  executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program who in March 2020 recommended only the sick wear masks and that “there is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by the mass population has any potential benefit.”