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.
One hair stylist worked for 10 days with symptoms of COVID-19, and another (who apparently caught COVID-19 from the first) worked for 5 days with symptoms before each of them were tested and diagnosed. Fortunately for everyone involved, their city and salon had policies recommending face masks or cloth face coverings for both hair stylists and their clients, and both stylists and all of their clients wore face masks during hair styling appointments. Unfortunately, both stylists spent time together while not wearing masks, which is likely how the second stylist caught COVID-19.
The county health department did extensive contact tracing and identified 139 clients who had come in close contact with at least one of the hair stylists during the days they were contagious. They asked all of the clients to stay home (self-quarantine) and followed up with them daily for 14 days; none of them reported symptoms of COVID-19 within 14 days after exposure. They also tested nearly half of the exposed clients (they offered tests to all, but half declined), all of the COVID-19 tests on clients were negative. In contrast, four close family members of the first stylist all developed symptoms for COVID-19 and later tested positive.
Certainly, both hair stylists should have stayed home and gotten tested as soon as they developed symptoms. But their face masks, and the ones worn by their clients, prevented what could have been a large outbreak.
Stay healthy, and keep wearing your masks!
😷 Dr. B