As the number of COVID-19 cases in Monroe County continues to rise, the Florida Department of Health reports that of our 41 cases, 20 are travel-related, 12 are community-acquired and nine are still under investigation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommend that everyone wear cloth face coverings in public settings, especially where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g. grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.).
Recent studies by the CDC confirm that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus won’t display symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and even some who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can and do transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms.
This means that the virus can spread between people who look, seem and even feel healthy when they interact in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms.
The interactions could be the basis of community spread of the virus, and become dangerous when exposed individuals unknowingly return home and expose others.
The CDC’s new recommendation is especially pertinent in areas of significant community-based transmission.
The best method to prevent transmission is to follow the State of Florida’s “Safer at Home” directive, in which Governor Ron DeSantis directed all Floridians to limit their movements and personal interactions outside the home unless they are providing essential services or seeking essential services.
If you must leave home, the CDC says it is “critical” to maintain 6 feet of social distancing to slow the spread of the virus and now advises everyone to use simple cloth face coverings that cover the mouth and nose. The face masks can help people who have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.
During the initial shortage of masks, local groups have been sewing homemade masks for healthcare workers.
While the cloth face coverings are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators, they do serve a few purposes. Widespread use could help “flatten the curve” and slow the spread of the virus through the community. They’re also a great visual reminder to keep social distance and be more aware of not touching common surfaces. Most importantly, when people use cloth masks, critical supplies of medical-grade masks can be conserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders.
Cloth face masks can be fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost and can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure, the CDC adds.
View the CDC’s easy tutorial on how to make a cloth face mask from a scarf/t-shirt/towel and rubber bands here:
