“Wearing a cloth face covering when leaving the house for essential activities may help reduce the spread of COVID-19 by residents who are positive but don’t have any symptoms,” said Dr. Nichole Quick, Orange County Health Officer. “However, it’s important for community members to remember that face coverings are not a replacement for prevention measures like social distancing and frequent hand washing, which continue to be the best pray to protect yourself.”

The State does not recommend that residents use N-95 or surgical masks, which are needed for our health care workers and first responders who will be there for when our lives at risk.

Guidance

Our best community and individual defense against COVID-19 is washing our hands frequently, avoiding touching our eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, avoiding being around sick people and physical distancing, especially by staying at home. A strong health care delivery system and emergency response system is also an essential core defense to save lives when people do get ill.

There may be a benefit to reducing asymptomatic transmission and reinforcing physical distancing from the use of face coverings. However, face coverings may increase risk if users reduce their use of strong defenses, such as physical distancing and frequent hand washing, when using face coverings.

Background

What is a cloth face covering?

A cloth face covering is a material that covers the nose and mouth. It can be secured to the head with ties or straps or simply wrapped around the lower face. It can be made of a variety of materials, such as cotton, silk, or linen. A cloth face covering may be factory-made or sewn by hand or can be improvised from household items such as scarfs, T-shirts, sweatshirts, or towels.

How well do cloth face coverings work to prevent spread of COVID-19?

There is limited evidence to suggest that use of cloth face coverings by the public during a pandemic could help reduce disease transmission. Their primary role is to reduce the release of infectious particles into the air when someone speaks, coughs, or sneezes, including someone who has COVID-19 but does not have any symptoms. The use of cloth face coverings may reinforce physical distancing. However, cloth face coverings are not a substitute for physical distancing and washing hands and staying home when ill, but they may be helpful when combined with these primary interventions.

When should I wear a cloth face covering?

You may choose to wear a cloth face covering when you must be in public for essential activities, such as shopping at the grocery store. Wearing a cloth face covering does not eliminate the need to physically distance yourself from others.

How should I care for a cloth face covering?

It’s a good idea to wash your cloth face covering frequently, ideally after each use, or at least daily. Have a bag or bin to keep cloth face coverings in until they can be laundered with detergent and hot water and dried on a hot cycle. If you must re-wear your cloth face covering before washing, wash your hands immediately after putting it back on and avoid touching your face. Discard cloth face coverings that:

• No longer cover the nose and mouth
• Have stretched out or damaged ties or straps
• Cannot stay on the face
• Have holes or tears in the fabric

For more information on face masks, visit https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Face-Coverings-Guidance.aspx.

For questions related to COVID-19, contact the Orange County COVID-19 Hotline at 1 (833) 426-6411, visit http://www.ochealthinfo.com/novelcoronavirus, or follow the Orange County Health Care Agency on Facebook (@ochealthinfo) and Twitter (@ochealth).

Find updated COVID-19 resources by following my Facebook (@SupervisorChaffee) and Twitter (@SupChaffee4) and by visiting my website at https://d4.ocgov.com/coronavirus-updates.

Receive COVID-19 updates from the County by texting "OCCOVID19" to 888777.