MONTREAL -- Health officials are recommending Quebecers wear face masks in public situations where physical distancing is difficult.

It's a reversal for some officials who initially said homemade or non-N95 masks would do little to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Now, the governmeht has published a how-to guide for making two kinds of masks at home.

The American Center for Disease Control and Prevention has issued its own recommendations, such as using tightly woven fabric such as quilting cotton or bedding.

Medical writer and cardiologist Christopher Labos warned that the masks are not 100 per cent effective and could be a detriment by providing a false sense of security.

“They're very likely better than nothing,” he said. “When you look at the few studies that have been done on this issue, they do seem to have some degree of filtering capacity in terms of filtering and blocking viral transmission. But how important this is is still a matter of some doubt.”

Labos said one common misconception is that fabric masks can protect wearers from COVID-19. N95 masks are designed with that purpose in mind but surgical and fabric masks are meant to keep carriers from spreading the disease to others.

“If you're infected with the virus and you don't know it, you could be spreading the virus to other people when you go out,” he said. “The mask is designed to limit that.”

In recent days, the Quebec government published a video guide on how to wear and safely remove a mask to prevent contamination.

“A lot of people wear masks and fiddle with them,” said Labos. “They touch it, they readjust it, they move it around on their face and nose.”

The rise in popularity of masks has led some Montrealers to begin producing their own at home, either for personal use, to give to friends and the public or even to medical professionals. Heather Lewenza runs a sewing pattern company and said that making masks has become a hot topic in the online sewing community.

“We're all feeling a little powerless right now and anyone who sews knows it's a tremendous act of self-care,” she said. “IT's a very soothing activity that keeps you present and mindful.”

Lewenza said she hopes people who wish to wear masks choose handmade ones, rather than hoarding medical supplies.

“When I'm in a store, I'm wearing them. Predominantly in case I'm asymptomatic somehow, I want to protect the people around me and I'm going to try to use the masks I've made myself rather than medical-grade masks. There's other people who need those more than us,” she said.