Baptist Health La Grange - Wearing face mask at Baptist Health facility is practical way to reduce COVID-19 spread
How to wear, remove and clean your mask
La Grange, KY (June 08, 2020) – In order to further limit the spread of COVID-19, all patients, family members, visitors, staff and vendors must wear a face mask at all times when in a Baptist Health facility.
The coronavirus is thought to spread mainly from one person to another, usually through droplets released while sneezing, coughing or talking.
“Since people can spread the virus before symptoms start, or even if they never have symptoms, wearing a face mask is one of the most practical ways to reduce the spread,” said Clint Kaho, Baptist Health La Grange president.
Patients and visitors should wear their own cloth face masks in order to preserve medical-grade masks, such as surgical masks and N95 respirators, for healthcare personnel and first responders.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges that select individuals are not required to wear face masks: children younger than 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove a mask without assistance.
Proven effective
“Wearing masks has been proven very effective in reducing transmission of the coronavirus,” said Matt McDanald, MD, Chief Medical Officer with Baptist Health La Grange. “It’s a behavior that may become the new normal. A single cloth mask can protect you from someone else’s viral droplets, and it can protect others from you if you’re infected and you don’t know it yet.”
Baptist Health is committed to healthy efforts such as wearing masks, physical distancing and hand-washing in order to protect the safety and health of everyone both inside and outside its facilities.
About cloth face masks
Cloth face masks are available from a variety of suppliers and manufacturers online and in some local brick-and-mortar stores. An alternative to purchasing masks is to make them at home with the aid of do-it-yourself videos and instructions that are readily available online.
Fabric that is 100% cotton and tightly woven is the best for cloth masks. Avoid knit fabrics, such as jersey T-shirts, because they create holes when stretched.
Cloth masks should:
- Include multiple layers of fabric
- Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
- Be secured with ties or ear loops
- Allow for breathing without restriction
- Be machine washable
If desired, coffee filters or HVAC filters, may be inserted to provide another layer of protection to the cloth mask. Coffee filters should be replaced after each use. HVAC filters are washable, but manufacturers warn they are intended for single use only.
Wearing face masks
The CDC recommends that face masks be worn in public, especially in places where physical distancing – staying at least six feet away from another person – is difficult.
Baptist Health asks that patients, visitors and staff put their face masks on before they enter one of its facilities and keep it on until they are in their vehicle about to leave.
Those wearing a face mask should avoid touching the face or the mask, and should ensure that the mask covers both the nose and mouth at all times.
Removing face masks
When it’s time to remove a mask:
- Open a resealable bag in order to easily place the mask inside it. The bag also aids in minimizing contact between the mask and other surfaces.
- Wash hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for 20 seconds or longer.
- Remove the face mask one ear loop or one tie at a time, taking precautions to avoid touching the face, eyes or nose.
- Fold the mask in half like a greeting card, making sure the side that faces the mouth is on the outside.
- Place the mask inside the resealable bag and store it until it can be cleaned.
- After handling the mask, wash hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for 20 seconds or longer.
Cleaning face masks
There are no definitive rules concerning how often face masks should be cleaned because it depends on the frequency of use, according to the CDC.
Clean face masks if they become soiled and if there is a possibility there has been contact with someone symptomatic or if someone sneezed or coughed within close proximity.
It may be most practical to purchase or make several face masks to ensure that a clean, dry mask is always available.
Remove filters before cleaning. Cloth face masks may be laundered in hot water in a washing machine and tumble dried on high heat. To protect elastic loops or cloth ties, face masks may be washed and dried in a mesh laundry bag or in a pillowcase tied into a knot or secured with a hair elastic or rubber band to secure it.
Those who are extra cautious may iron masks on the cotton or linen setting to kill any remaining germs.