Ohio Department of Health offers guidance on face masks

COVID-19 Checklist for Cloth Face Coverings (Masks)

Protecting Against COVID-19

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that Americans wear cloth face coverings (masks) in public to help slow the spread of COVID-19. This recommendation is being made based on studies that show a significant proportion of people with COVID-19 lack symptoms and can transmit the virus to others in close proximity, through speaking, coughing, sneezing or other means.

Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton, M.D., MPH, strongly recommends that Ohioans take the following actions:

Use coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain, such as grocery stores, pharmacies, and public parks.
Maintain 6-feet social distancing whenever possible, even if you are wearing a face covering.
Do not place cloth face coverings on children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
Do not use medical supply masks, which must be reserved for healthcare workers, first responders, and people who are known to be sick.
Make cloth face coverings from household items or common materials. Use multiple layers of a fabric that does not damage or lose shape when laundered or machine dried.
Support small businesses selling fabric masks at a reasonable price, but watch out for scammers offering high-priced or so-called superior masks.
Use coverings that fit snugly but comfortably and allow for breathing without restriction. Secure with ties or ear loops.
Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth when removing the face covering and wash your hands immediately after removing.
Launder coverings after each use. Avoid wearing when wet from laundering or from spit or mucus.

DIY Face Coverings

Use tightly woven fabric (preferably cloth that lets minimal light shine through) such as quilting cloth.
If you need to buy materials, consider purchasing online to avoid public places.
The CDC offers instructions on creating a no-sew face covering out of a T-shirt; or out of a bandanna, coffee filter, and rubber bands. You will also need scissors.
The CDC offers instructions on sewing a face covering with 10-by-6-inch rectangles of tightly woven cotton fabric. You will need a sewing machine, needle and thread (or bobby pin) and scissors. You also will need elastic, rubber bands, hair ties, string, or cloth strips.

For additional information, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov.

For answers to your COVID-19 questions, call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).

If you or a loved one are experiencing anxiety related to the coronavirus pandemic, help is available. Call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 (1-800-846-8517 TTY); connect with a trained counselor through the Ohio Crisis Text Line by texting the keyword “4HOPE” to 741 741; or call the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services help line at 1-877-275-6364 to find resources in your community.

Additional resources:

Recommendation Regarding the Use of Cloth Face Coverings, Especially in Areas of Significant Community-Based Transmission: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html.

Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html.

Video: Dr. Jerome Adams, U.S. Surgeon General: How to Make Your Own Face Covering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPx1yqvJgf4.

Kaiser Permanente Fabric Face Mask Instructions (sewing machine needed): https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/content/dam/internet/kp/comms/import/uploads/2020/03/02_COVID_Mask-Instructions_v9.pdf.

COVID-19 Information on Decontaminating Facepiece Respirators

Protecting Against COVID-19

According to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), decontamination is not approved as standard of care for disposable filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs), such as N95 masks, used to protect healthcare personnel from the spread of COVID-19. However, the agency says this may need to be considered to ensure availability during a pandemic. The CDC offers extensive guidance at its Decontamination and Reuse of Filtering Facepiece Respirators web page.

Some information to note:

The CDC says one option is to issue five masks to each healthcare worker who may care for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. The healthcare worker will wear one respirator each day and store it in a breathable paper bag at the end of each shift, leaving five days between use of each mask to potentially allow the virus to die. Masks still should be handled as if they are contaminated.
Limited research is available on decontamination, but potential methods showing promise include ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, vaporous hydrogen peroxide, and moist heat. Steam treatment and liquid hydrogen peroxide show promise with some limitations.
Decontamination using autoclaves, dry heat, alcohol, microwave irradiation, or soap and water is not recommended because they cause significant filter degradation. Bleach is not recommended because it causes filter degradation and creates an odor rendering masks unsuitable for use. Disinfectant wipes also may alter performance.
Battelle Memorial Institute, a science and technology development firm based in Columbus, has developed the Critical Care Decontamination System to decontaminate N95 respirator masks, allowing them to be used up to 20 times. The technology uses concentrated, vapor phase hydrogen peroxide, exposing masks to an adequate concentration level over an adequate period of time. The use of this system has been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Check the FDA website for other systems authorized for use.
A recent study by Stanford University researchers has gained attention following reports that it indicates that N95 masks can be decontaminated in a home oven. However, the study used bacteria different from the virus that causes COVID-19 and involved only one type of fabric used for N95 masks. The method is not approved by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and study authors stress: “Our reports do not advocate for people to disinfect masks for reuse by heat treatment in home ovens.”
The CDC and NIOSH offer guidance on the extended use and limited reuse of N95 masks in healthcare settings.

For additional information, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov.

For answers to your COVID-19 questions, call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).