possible area of the hospital to treat patients just like we did with delta. reporter: in massachusetts, in an effort to deal with the patient overload, hospitals are pausing elective surgeries. kayla st. pierre is 32 and waiting to have kidney surgery there, a surgery now considered elective. kayla is terrified. she s been through over 200 operations. the waiting game can be a real struggle emotionally. reporter: and amid this surge, the cdc now updating it s mask guidance, saying loosely woven cloth masks provide the least protection. higher quality masks, like n-95s and kn-95s, are safer options. the agency stopping short of urging all americans to upgrade their masks, drawing immediate criticism from some health experts. the approach that the cdc is taking right now with masking, i think, just adds to the confusion. we should be making it loud and clear that the n-95 respirators are really the only thing that will really protect you. reporter: but an alarming statistic to