The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reportedly considering altering its masking guidance to recommend individuals wear “highly protective N95 or KN95 masks,” the Washington Post reported on Monday.

Citing an official “close to the deliberations who was not authorized to speak publicly,” the Post reported that the federal health agency is considering the recommendation change in the wake of the highly contagious omicron variant, despite the fact that it appears to be a more mild form of the illness.

“The agency is currently actively looking to update its recommendations for KN95 and N95 in light of omicron,” the official said, according to the Post. “We know these masks provide better filtration.”

That stands in stark contrast to the initial position of public health officials, who urged Americans to wear cloth or surgical masks, particularly at the beginning of the pandemic, in order to preserve other PPE for healthcare workers. However, health officials are now not as concerned with a shortage of N95 masks.

According to the outlet:

The updated guidance is expected to say that the best mask is the one that is worn consistently and correctly. N95 masks, which were predominantly used in health-care and industrial settings before the pandemic, are supposed to be individually fitted and are sometimes hard to wear all day, physicians and other health-care personnel have said. The CDC guidance is expected to say that if people can “tolerate wearing a KN95 or N95 mask all day, you should.”

The CDC’s current masking guidance instructs unvaccinated individuals two and older to wear a mask in indoor public spaces. However, it also urges vaccinated individuals to do the same if they are in areas with high coronavirus case numbers. 

“If you are fully vaccinated, to maximize protection and prevent possibly spreading COVID-19 to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission,” the guidance, last updated October 25, 2021, states. 

The guidance urges individuals to choose masks that “have two or more layers of washable, breathable fabric” and “completely cover your nose and mouth” while fitting “snugly against the sides “ of one’s face.   However, it explicitly advises individuals to avoid masks that are “specially labeled ‘surgical’ N95 respirators, as those should be prioritized for healthcare personnel.”

The rumored update comes as states and localities reimplement mask mandates, despite the fact that blue, restriction-happy areas with such mandates continue to see some of the highest coronavirus case rates in the nation.

It also follows continued controversy over the effectiveness of cloth and surgical masks. Breitbart News highlighted a University of Waterloo study in August 2021, which found that cloth and surgical masks were roughly 10 percent efficient at blocking exhaled aerosols. 

In contrast, N95s filter “up to 95 percent of particles in the air when approved by NIOSH and proper fit can be achieved,” according to the CDC.