Doctors want Wichitans to wear masks during coronavirus pandemic, and here’s why

Wichita doctors say when Sedgwick County reopens — whenever that date ultimately is — people should wear masks or face coverings whenever they leave their homes to reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

Wearing a breathable mask that covers the nose and mouth greatly reduces the rate of transmission of the disease COVID-19, which is passed through airborne particles and droplets on surfaces.

“Anybody that’s out and about, if you can wear a mask of any kind — it doesn’t have to be a surgical mask; it can be a regular cloth mask — that actually significantly reduces the rate of transmission,” said Tom Moore, a Wichita infectious disease doctor.

Moore and nine other doctors — a panel formed by the local Medical Society — sent the Sedgwick County Commission recommendations on reopening safely and asked that the county wait to reopen until at least May 11, a week after Gov. Laura Kelly’s stay-at-home order is set to expire.

That additional week would give the county and its businesses and residents more time to get adequate testing and personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves. Certain professions require the more effective N-95 masks, but Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recommended the general public wear cloth masks, especially in places where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

Mask wearing is common practice in certain Asian countries such as mainland China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan.

But U.S. government agencies and the World Health Organization have sent mixed messages on whether wearing masks is effective. In late February, when there was a run on masks, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams tweeted that masks don’t offer help to the general public.

“Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS!” he tweeted from the U.S. Surgeon General account. “They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk.”

The World Health Organization says there are only two types of people who should wear masks: healthcare workers and those who are sick and show symptoms. Its advice on mask wearing warns that widespread mask wearing may create a false sense of security, “with neglect of other essential measures, such as hand hygiene practices and physical distancing, and may lead to touching the face under the masks and under the eyes.”

It wasn’t until last month that the CDC recommended Americans wear cloth face coverings, including those “fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials.”

Local doctors agree with the World Health Organization that masks aren’t a silver bullet. But wearing them might help remind people to exercise caution.

One of the Medical Society’s panel’s suggestions is that people in Wichita should wear masks not only to “provide a physical barrier,“ but also to serve as “a visual reminder” that the community is trying to fight the spread of the coronavirus.

“There are data that suggest if I have the illness and I wear a mask, then I reduce the risk of transmission to another person by 95%,” Moore said.

Because asymptomatic carriers of the virus can still spread it, even those who aren’t sick should wear a mask just in case, he said.

Social distancing also important

Masks are no substitute for social distancing, said Wichita family physician Sheryl Beard, who also is on the Medical Society panel.

With masks, a bit of human nature comes into play, she said, and people tend to maintain a more distance with people whose faces are covered.

“The transmissibility of the virus is greatest when you have no protection over your nose and mouth,” Beard said. “Even through speaking — you don’t even have to cough or sneeze — even speaking releases large particles.

“So even talking can bring out those large droplets. . . . So I’m wearing a mask to protect myself a little bit, but I’m really wearing a mask to protect those I’m around. If everyone work a mask then everyone would be protected.”

Beard said face coverings will be necessary to help keep the virus at bay when restrictions are eased and thousands of businesses reopen. One of the panel’s recommendations is that all businesses require both patrons and staff to wear masks.

“Even the cloth masks, even a bandana ... is better than nothing,” Beard said.

“I think universal masking should sort of be the next phase. If we’re going to allow people to come out of their homes, they should be having a face covering,” she said.

Restaurants could be tricky, she said.

“Just by the nature of being in a restaurant, you can’t wear a mask if you’re eating and drinking. And so for me as a medical professional, I can say what I think would protect everyone the best would be universal masking.”

Moore said he’s nervous that the state and Sedgwick County could try to reopen prematurely, without accurate testing data that shows how widespread the illness is in the Wichita area. When things do open back up, they have to do it safely, he said.

“At some point, we’ve got to open up the economy to prevent all the complications that are related to poverty and starvation,” Moore said.

He said masks, social distancing, proper hygiene and avoiding gatherings could help cut the transmission rate down.

“It’s not going to be zero. It’s never going to be zero, but we just want to have it reduced to a point where we can function both function as a society as well as keep people alive,” Moore said.

This story was originally published April 30, 2020 at 1:42 PM.