False social media posts claim WHO advised against wearing face masks in 2021, despite raging pandemic

Multiple Facebook posts shared hundreds of times in January 2021 claim the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new advice against wearing face masks during the coronavirus pandemic. The posts contain a screenshot of an article that purports to report on a WHO press conference held on January 22, 2021. The claim is false: as of February 4, 2021, the WHO recommends that