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Local hospitals and clinics are accepting donations of N95, P95 or surgical masks as supplies of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Hays County has pending requests to the state for Personal Protective Equipment.
Some U.S. hospitals are accepting single use homemade and hand-sewn masks as their supplies run low, however the World Health Organization does not recommend healthcare workers use homemade masks under any circumstances.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention lists homemade masks as a crisis option for a clinical setting if there are no medical masks in supply.
“(Austin Regional Clinic) appreciates the community coming together to help healthcare worker," said Heidi Shalev, ARC’s vice president of marketing, communication, engagement. “At this time we are still using our surgical masks and N95s as they are at least 3 times more effective in blocking transmission than homemade masks. Our hope is that anyone who has N95, P95, or surgical masks, proven to prevent infectious disease spread, will donate them to their local hospital or clinic.”
Homemade masks can be used in the home if there is a family member who is ill and there are no surgical masks available. A homemade mask should be considered as a last resort as it is better than no protection, according to the ARC.
Studies have shown homemade masks can help protect adults from respiratory infections in the community but are not as helpful for children. They can be more helpful than nothing in the community or their own household, but not for healthcare workers in a clinical setting.
In a randomized trial of more than 1,600 healthcare workers in 14 hospitals in Vietnam, workers were split into three groups: medical masks at all times on their work shift, cloth masks made with 2 ply cotton at all times on shift and a control group using standard practices of wearing a mask because it is unethical to ask participants not to wear a mask.
The cotton masks were washed after every shift. Workers were monitored daily for fever and respiratory symptoms and swabbed if they had symptoms.
The results showed cloth masks actually increased infection rates across all categories, including the coronavirus.
Staying home, washing hands often and restricting all in-person interactions is still the best way to help out during the COVID-19 crisis. “Individual actions can help change the curve,” said Shalev.
Twitter: @StephJGates
