and we're back with jeremy howar howard. the question i'm going to ask, i'm going to pose it here because i want people to know. do you have any hard data that would suggest when you have a critical mass wearing these scarves is effective to tamp down the spread. >> i have a couple of interesting examples of this. perhaps the best thing we can do as data scientists is to look at two time periods of the same country. try and find two time periods but nothing much changes. you can't be perfect. one interesting thing is look at south korea. they have a culture of mask wearing but mainly only when they have symptoms. we now know it's not the primary time they need it. also, the country ran out of masks. people were not able to get masks. during that time, the number of cases in south korea was closely tracking italy. we know how awful things have gotten in italy. then in late february, the government stepped in and they guaranteed a supply of masks and set up a system where everybody could go and get their masks on a particular

university of san francisco data scientist and founder of masks for all, jeremy howard, joins us once again. hey, jeremy, good to see you. >> hello there. nice to see you, too. >> i know. i can't wait to get to the mask making because i just think that's so useful for many people. but, first, i would like to clarify for our viewers, under what situations they need to wear a mask now when they're out and about in the bay area. so let's talk about when they're absolutely required. >> yeah. so they're absolutely required, both, legally and practically. they're nicely aligned, which makes it easy. basically, whenever you're out and about, exempt when you're exercising, not when you're at home and not when you're in the car with family members or on your own. in those situations, there is no requirement, under the orders, to wear a mask. >> okay. in fact, you just answered jonathan rosenbaum's question. he asked do i need to wear a mask if i am just going to take a walk around the neighborhood? so yt sai it's not necessary, and of course it's not legally required. but should you? i mean, c

i'm really excited about this joining us is jeremy howard. you've been talking about masks for the past six weeks or more, right? >> right. >> now that we're finally adopting this on a more universal basis, i want to get it to. i'm excited sthoe people how quickly it can be done. before we get to that i know you have been studyig it if people all wore masks and you have the results of a new study. tell us about that. >> since i was last on your show i put together a team from all around the world. south africa, europe. we have been studying the data and literature intensely. we have discovered that people have their masks backwards or inside out. the research has been looking at what's the impact when you wear a masks in terms of do you get sick, do you get infected if you're wearing a mask. what masks do is they stop other people from getting sick if you're sick. remember, you don't know if you're sick. you're most infectious at the time that you've just first been infected. we crunched the numbers and it turns out under some pretty conserva

jeremy howard, a research scientist at university of san francisco, says there's some things to keep in mind. >> there's two things to be aware of when it comes to picking a material. the first is breakability. and the second is, does it stop liquid? iversity study from 2009 tested the efficiency of homemade masks. and it turns out household products like dish towels and vacuum bags are actually usable. from their analysis, there are many fabric types that will work. if sewing is completely out of the question, which let's be honest -- >> we're going to fold this over -- >> in the, it's better than nothing category, this hair tie and folded cloth option will suffice in a pinch. so if you are making your own mask at home, some advice. be sure to use different fabrics on the front and the back so that when you take it on and off, you know which side should face your mouth when you put it back on. remember to wash them. above all, of course, health officials say nothing works better than social distancing and washing your hands. >> that's for sure. >> yeah, i feel like i'm going to take

barking from home, jeremy howard showed this video of his dog having a virtual playdate, and he says the two dogs are best friends and not seeing each other during the pandemic has been hard of them. these two can howl and bark and interact and do it all virtually. cute. >>> coming up next, the seven things you need to know as you start your day. >>> abc7 has launched a new streaming app, so wherever you are you can get our live newscast, weather and more on our new abc7 app >>> welcome back. it's 6:57 if you are just joining us. number one, shelter-in-place orders will continue through may in most of the bay area. the current orders were set to expire this sunday. >>> number two, sonoma county is reportedly going in the opposite direction, starting to loosen the restrictions this week, and the plan will start with limited local park access and then to construction work and gardening. >>> and then closing to traffic to create safe space for outdoor exercise. >>> number four, more states planning to re-open their economies. texas will allow some businesses to re-open on friday will al

jeremy howard says available evidence suggests near-universal adoption of nonmedical masks when in public, along with complementary public health measures, could successfully reduce and stop community tread. he appeared on our new 3:00 show to talk about the research. >> we now know that masks are best used when somebody who might be infected wears it. if you go out to the shops and somebody is not wearing a mask, they could kill you. >> something you really need to think about. experts caution that masks are no substitute for physical distancing, which is still your safest option. >>> for students, distance learning has been a greater challengehast envisioned. some school districts are just now starting. others are still negotiating with the teachers union to set parameters and expectations. abc 7 news reporter lyanne melendez takes a look. >> reporter: at global family elementary in oakland, parents came to pick up learning packs and the much-needed laptops for their children. the hope is that this coming monday, most, not all, will be interacting online. parents say distance learning g

. >> reporter: jeremy howard, a research scientist at the university of san francisco says the rationale for the public wearing the face coveringsu fin making an effective one? the basic pattern is not new. two layers of fabric, three folds, elastic to go around the ears. absent guidance from the cdc i'm bur two ieeen able t that's usable. you can hand sew one. it just taking a little longer. tah-dah. when it comes to choosing a fabric -- >> there's two things to be aware of when it comes to picking material. the first is breathability and the second is does it stop liquid. >> reporter: a cambridge university study from 2009 tested the efficiency of homemade masks and named dish towels and vacuum bags as usable. and from their analysis there are many fabric types that will work. and if sewing is totally out of the question -- >> we're going to fold this over. >> reporter: in the it's better than nothing category this hair tie and folded cloth option will suffice in a pinch. to make it clear, there is no recommendation so far for ordinary citizens to wear a mask. in fact, the state depart