



Stubble is out and side whiskers are in if you want to stop yourself catching coronavirus, according to US health officials.





An infographic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows how different styles of beards can stop face masks and respirators from working.









The chart was initially released in 2017, but has resurfaced after a top CDC official warned that it’s no longer ‘a question of if…but when’ coronavirus will spread in the US.

Being clean shaven or having side whiskers, soul patches and handlebar moustaches will allow the mask to fit properly

.However lengthier styles such as the Fu Manchu tashe, mutton chops, beards and even stubble are not recommended because they would likely interfere with seal, allowing air particles to slip in.

Face masks are being used by many people in an effort to avoid catching coronavirus, which has battered Italy and begun spreading through Europe in recent days.

The chart was published to tell people who want to do Movember what facial hair works with tight-fitting masks, but is applicable for any situation where you need to wear one. The CDC says you don’t need to wear a respirator if you are already healthy. However it is ‘crucial’ for medics and anyone displaying the flu-like symptoms. A goatee, horseshoe and villain moustache are fine with caution but the hair should not cross the respirator’s sealing surface, according to the poster.











Facial hair styles that may present a problem include chin curtains, extended goatees, circle beards, hulihee, French fork and ducktail.

Most moustaches with varying degrees of flare are acceptable – including the walrus, the toothbrush and the Zorro.

There is no official guidance telling men to get the razors out just yet. However, after the poster did the rounds on social media, NHS staff at Southampton General Hospital were urged to shave as an infection control measure. Hospital chiefs sent an email which included the graphic, but said those who have beards for religious or cultural reasons are exempt from the ban.