CDC Releases New Guidelines on Cloth Facemasks for Public

Beebe Healthcare is sharing recently updated CDC guidelines after the organization made an announcement on Friday.
 
The CDC announced from recent studies on COVID-19 that a portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms or who are pre-symptomatic can transmit the virus to others. This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms, according to the CDC.
 
In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain like at grocery stores and pharmacies, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.
 
Based on these CDC guidelines, all non-direct patient care Beebe team members will be issued a cloth mask starting the week of April 6 in preparation for Delaware’s surge of COVID-19 patients.
 
“We have seen our numbers of positive cases, hospitalizations, and sadly our death toll rise over the past few weeks. Sussex County will continue to see an increase in patients with COVID-19, and Beebe Healthcare will need to take up the fight,” said Dr. David Tam, President & CEO of Beebe Healthcare. “I am here to assure you our organization is ready to care for people during this uncertain time. We have done all that we can to make sure we have as much supplies and resources as possible when national resources are strained and the country is placing appropriate priorities to severely impacted areas such as New York and Washington.”
 
“I call on you again to follow the CDC, WHO, and State guidance of social / physical distancing, to wash your hands correctly, and limit your activities out of the home as much as possible.”
 
Cloth masks are not recommended for patient care over surgical masks or N-95s, which our front-line patient care team members will continue to utilize to take care of patients at Beebe Healthcare. The CDC recommends this critical supply of proper PPE remain reserved for first responders. 
 
While Beebe cannot supply masks for the community to wear in public, the CDC has three at-home options, which include two non-sew options. Guidelines, including laundering, can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html.
 
Beebe has also provided guidelines on its website here: https://www.beebehealthcare.org/donation-items-covid-19-relief.
 
The healthcare system has received hundreds of donated cloth masks and we continue to ask you to make them during this pandemic as we work to conserve proper PPE resources for COVID-19 patient care and those with symptoms.   
 
 
 
 
Beebe Healthcare is a not-for-profit community healthcare system with a charitable mission to encourage healthy living, prevent illness, and restore optimal health for the people who live in, work in, and visit the communities we serve. Beebe Healthcare has three campuses: the Margaret H. Rollins Lewes Campus, which houses the medical center; the Rehoboth Beach Health Campus; and coming in 2020, the South Coastal Health Campus. Beebe Healthcare offers primary care as well as specialized services in the areas of cardiac and vascular, general surgery, robotic surgery, cancer treatment, women's health, and orthopaedics. Beebe also offers walk-in care, lab, imaging and physical rehabilitation services at several locations throughout Sussex County, in addition to a Home Care program and an adult activities center. 
 
For more information about Beebe Healthcare, go to www.beebehealthcare.org. To find out how Beebe Healthcare is Creating the Next Generation of Care for the community, go to www.nextgenerationofcare.org.