FROM THE LANGLADE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

As of April 8, 2020, The Wisconsin Department of Health Services and the CDC released recommendations regarding the use of cloth face masks or coverings for the general public. At this time the CDC & WI DHS are recommending that people wear cloth face masks or coverings when in a community setting.  There is evidence to suggest that COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not even aware they have the virus.

The recommendation comes as we are all working hard to slow the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve, giving us another tool to help achieve this goal. “Cloth face covers are not a substitute for physical distancing and handwashing, said Meghan Williams, Health Officer, Langlade County Health Department. These cloth face coverings are recommended to be used when physical distancing is hard to maintain such as in grocery stores, pharmacies or other essential public places or if you have seasonal allergies, Williams added.”

Our best 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. It is imperative we all continue to do those things.

When wearing a cloth face covering it is important to remember:

• Make sure you can breathe through it.
• Make sure it covers your nose and mouth
• Wash after using.
• Do not use if under the age of 2.
• Do not use a surgical masks or other PPE intended for healthcare workers.

Both the CDC & WI DHS have released information on how to make masks, what kind of fabrics to use, how to wear them, how to clean them, etc. Please see the FAQ below for more information or visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html or https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/covid-19/protect.htm.

This is a rapidly evolving situation and we encourage the public to frequently monitor the Langlade County Health Department Facebook Page, the Langlade County Health Department Instagram, the Langlade County Health Department webpage at bit.ly/LangladeHealth