By: Donovan W. Mann – [email protected]
Humboldt, IA – As Humboldt County’s COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise at a more rapid rate local public health officials are encouraging the community to mask up when it is recommended to do so.
Director of Humboldt County Public Health Joleen Sernett provides the details on face masks. She addresses some of the topics including effectiveness, when they should be worn and who is advised to not wear one.
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. Face coverings are meant to stand in the way of those droplets getting too far from their source. Sernett 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. All others it is safe to wear a mask.
Additional information provided by Humboldt County Public Health shows germs can spread quickly. A single sneeze releases about 30,000 droplets that can travel up to 200 miles per hour across a room. A cough can contain 3,000 droplets which can travel about 50 miles per hour. A single breath can release 50 to 5,000 droplets that travel at a slower velocity.
HCMH and Humboldt County Public Health did not comment on any specific reason for the increasing rate of cases in the county. However, they continue to encourage the community to remember their masks, maintain the six feet of social distancing and stay home when they are sick to help limit the spread of the virus.