Month: July 2020

Are you washing your hands correctly?

Image source: https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/campaign.html

Continuing on with my series on simple steps that everyone can (and should!) take to prevent COVID-19, I’ve reached the seemingly simplest and hopefully least controversial step: handwashing.

Everyone – children, adults, and everyone in between – should be washing their hands frequently every day but especially during the current pandemic to clean germs and dirt off their hands. Teach your children to wash their hands regularly, and remember to set a good example for them by washing your hands regularly as well! You are the most important influence on your children, and if they notice you not washing your hands then you’ll send them a clear message that you don’t believe handwashing to be important, regardless of what you might say.

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Even more proof that masks work

I’m back at it again with the early updates, but this news was too good not to share: the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published a case summary today of two hair stylists with COVID-19 who served 139 clients while both the stylists and clients wore face masks, and not one client got infected. This is tremendous news that once again reinforces that face masks work to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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Airborne vs Droplet Transmission

Royalty-free stock photo ID: 1682894212. Source: www.shutterstock.com

I’ve decided to break my Monday-updates schedule to address a developing COVID-19 story that I’ve gotten a lot of questions about this week.

This week, 239 scientists signed off on a commentary calling for increased attention to the possibility that COVID-19 might be spread by airborne transmission. Yesterday, the World Health Organization released an updated scientific brief acknowledging that COVID-19 might be spread by airborne transmission. If you’re anything like me, then you’ve probably seen a lot of headlines about this, and overheard a lot of discussions about it. So what does it mean?

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Which mask is right for you?

Royalty-free stock photo ID: 1728546376, www.shutterstock.com

I hope you all had a safe and healthy 4th of July, and that you keep making safe choices to keep yourself, your loved ones and your community healthy. COVID-19 cases keep rising in the U.S., particularly in states that either don’t have face mask requirements or aren’t enforcing them. A vaccine is months away at best, so until then it’s up to us to control this pandemic as best we can using the few tools we have available. Face masks have been proven to reduce the spread of COVID-19; everyone over 2 years old should be wearing one anytime they are out in public or around people who don’t live in their household.

Now that face masks are finally catching on, there are so many to choose from. It can be hard to choose which kind is right for you. Fortunately, the AIP Physics of Fluids published a fascinating study visually comparing the effectiveness of various kinds of commonly worn face coverings.

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