By: Donovan W. Mann – donovanm@977thebolt.com
Humboldt, IA – A local public health official is urging the public to wear face mask whenever possible to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
It is known that the COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through respiratory droplets such as when a person coughs, sneezes or even just on exhale of breath. Director of Humboldt County Public Health Joleen Sernett says face coverings are meant to stand in the way of those droplets getting too far from their source. She says that even cloth face masks can act a barrier to those droplets. She says that face masks do make a difference and it’s been “proven” that they do help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Sernett provides recommendations on when someone should wear a face covering. She says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend people wear masks when they are in public settings. This includes being around others outside ones immediate household. The recommendation is especially true when other social distancing standards can’t be practiced due to lack of space according to Sernett.
There are certain groups that are advised to not wear masks according to the public health official. One group she says immediately is children under the ages of two. It is also advised that those with pre-existing respirator complications not wear a mask whenever the mask might make it difficult to breathe. All others it is safe to wear a mask.
Joleen Sernett finishes by saying there are many types of masks available for purchase and that the best mask is one a person can wear comfortably and consistently.
Graphic courtesy of Humboldt County Public Health and Humboldt County Memorial Hospital showing the effect a mask can have:
