As medical staff at Moab Regional Hospital, we would like to present information to the community on the scientific and data-driven understanding that wearing masks when out-and-about in the community, especially when social distancing (6 ft. or more) is not possible, will help slow the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
We do this by referencing a fully annotated, evidence-based report written by researchers in the Environmental Science department at Brigham Young University, published on July 19, 2020. This report is a summary on the science of face coverings or masks that was compiled after reviewing 115 scientific studies from around the United States and the world.
Here are the main points:
In the first few months of the pandemic, there was scientific uncertainty about the usefulness of public masking. Conflicting guidance was given by several official sources.
There is now convincing evidence from multiple controlled experiments and field observations that wearing masks reduces the transmission of COVID-19 for healthcare workers and for the general public.
Masks prevent infected people from spreading the virus to others by trapping respiratory droplets (tiny moisture particles) that are produced when we cough, speak and breathe. Cloth masks can stop 90% or more of the dispersal of droplets carrying the virus.
Masks are highly safe, with only minor and uncommon side-effects and are appropriate for almost everyone to wear safely, except those under the age of 2 or individuals with disabilities that do not allow removing or adjusting a mask, or those with severely compromised respiratory systems.
Researchers from hospitals, universities, the private sector, and government agencies have concluded that masks could be one of the most powerful and cost-effective tools to stop COVID-19 and accelerate economic recovery.
We encourage everyone to look at the science and the data for yourself at pws.byu.edu/covid-19-and-masks or at www.researchgate.net/publication/343263629_A_Complete_Debunking_of_Denis_Rancourt’s_Mask_Don’t_Work
Consider wearing a mask to protect others. It’s simple, inexpensive, and supported by the scientific community.
Masks, along with physical distancing of at least 6 feet whenever possible, frequent hand-washing, and comprehensive testing and contact tracing will help slow the spread of this disease in our community.
Please feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss this further or have questions.
Angela Alexander, MD
Hannah Bodenhamer, PA-C
Kim Brandau, MD
Laird Clark, CRNA
Dylan Cole, DO
Pablo Johnson, MD
Philip Kopell, MD
Michael Kueber, MD
Whitney Mack, DO
Eve Maher-Young, PA-C
Jonas Munger, MD
Lauren Prest, DO
Michael Quinn, MD
Paul Reay, DO
Georgia Russell, APRN
Desiree Westfall, PA-C
Kathy Williams, MD
