Part 4 How do I protect myself, my family and others from COVID-19?

TRUE? or FALSE?

It’s not necessary to maintain a distance of six feet from other people, when I’m wearing a surgical mask or cloth covering.

True

Incorrect. Although surgical masks and cloth masks decrease the chance that you will contract the virus or spread it to someone else, wearing a mask alone is not enough to protect you or other people. Masks are important but they work best in combination with social distancing and bringing in outside air if you are in an enclosed space.

False

Correct. Although surgical masks and cloth masks decrease the chance that you will contract the virus or spread it to someone else, wearing a mask alone is not enough to protect you or other people. Masks are important but they work best in combination with social distancing and bringing in outside air if you are in an enclosed space.

This pandemic has taught us that worker health is public health. If we get sick in the workplace, we can infect our family, friends and members of our community. And if we are exposed at home, at school, in places of worship, or in the community and become infected, we bring the infection with us into our workplace.

The actions we need to take are shaped by the fact that the virus can be transmitted, even by people who don’t feel sick. People tend to be most contagious BEFORE they feel really sick. So we need to act like we – and everyone else – may spread the infection.

There are many steps that we can take to minimize the spread of the virus. Many of the same actions such as wearing a masks, physical distancing, ventilation (bringing in outside air) are important at both work and the community. And when there is a risk of infection among household members, the same precautions are needed in the home.

While these steps will continue to be important for the foreseeable future. ultimately the only way we will be able to fully control the spread of COVID 19 is through vaccination. And with new, and more contagious mutations of COVID 19 identified, taking steps to minimize the spread of the virus are even more important.

Know How it Spreads

Droplet transmission

Occurs when an infected person talks, sings, coughs or sneezes and respiratory secretions make direct contact with the mucus membranes of another person's nose, mouth, and eyes. This is most likely to happen when people are less than six feet apart.

Aerosol transmission

While many larger COVID-19 virus particles fall close to the infected person (within six feet), some virus containing droplets may linger in the air for minutes to hours and may infect people who are further than 6 feet away from the infected person. Infection can be spread by inhaling virus particles suspended in the air.

Under experimental conditions, researchers (Links to an external site.) found that the COVID-19 virus stayed viable in indoor air for up to three hours. The researchers estimate (Links to an external site.) that in most real-world situations, the virus would remain suspended in the air for about 30 minutes, before settling onto surfaces. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend airborne precautions (Links to an external site.) for the care of COVID-19 suspected or confirmed patients.

Learn more about aerosol transmission, including the best ways to limit exposure to aerosols in indoor air.

Contact transmission

When respiratory droplets land on surfaces and objects, it is possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching the surface or object and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes. However, there is increasing evidence that contact transmission is much less like to result in COVID-19 infection than infection via droplet or aerosol transmission.

Learn More:

An Overview of Steps to Reducing Exposure

It is important to combine strategies to reduce the likelihood of exposure to the virus.

Wear a surgical mask or cloth face covering that covers both your mouth and nose
Maintain distances of at least six feet with anyone outside your family or immediate household.
When indoors with people outside your family or immediate household, reduce the possibility of airborne transmission by bringing in outside air (e.g. opening or cracking open a window) or using an air filter
Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after touching objects in public spaces or after coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose, and using the restroom. Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand rub that contains 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

Individually, none of these precautions guarantee that the virus will not be transmitted, but when used in combination, they greatly reduce the risk of being infected. Combining layers of protection has been compared to stacking layers of “swiss cheese” – any single layer has holes, but when stacked – more and more of the holes (likely routes of transmission) are reduced.

Each of these approaches is discussed in more detail in the sections below.

Wear a Mask or Face Covering

For many of us, wearing face coverings has become routine given a range of studies showing that face-coverings play an important role in reducing the spread of COVID-19. Under NJ Executive Order 192, workers and visitors to public and private sector worksites are now required to wear face coverings and employers are required to provide face masks for their employees.

Scientists believe that wearing face coverings or surgical masks saves lives by reducing the likelihood that you:

Transmit the virus to others when you cough, sneeze or talk
Catch the virus from someone else

Recent reports suggest that wearing a mask reduces the wearer’s risk of infection substantially. Studies also suggest that by reducing the “amount” or “viral load” of virus transmitted, wearing a mask may reduce the likelihood of developing severe illness if you are infected. Masks are much more effective in reducing infection from respiratory droplets if everyone wears them!

Current recommendations for face coverings:

Wear surgical masks or cloth face coverings that have two or more layers. (Note: Current recommendations are for three layers. Given new, more contagious variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 infections, many experts are recommending double-masking, for example a cloth mask on top of a surgical mask.)
Wear the mask over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin. Try to make sure that the masks fit flat against your face without any gaps.
CDC does not recommend the use of bandanas and gaiters.
Masks should NOT be worn by children younger than two, people who have trouble breathing, or people who cannot remove the mask without assistance
Because of shortages in supply, the public is still being asked to refrain from purchasing N95 respirators which are critical to the safety of healthcare workers.

Since the virus can be spread by people who don’t have symptoms (and that includes us!) we wear a mask to protect ourselves and others and we want other people to do the same.

Sources: UC Davis; The Lancet; MedRXIV

Keep a Safe Distance to Slow the Spread

Social distancing, also called “physical distancing,” means keeping a safe space between yourself and other people who are not from your household. To practice social or physical distancing, stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) from other people who are not from your household in both indoor and outdoor spaces.

Social distancing should be practiced in combination with other everyday preventive actions to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including wearing masks, avoiding touching your face with unwashed hands, and frequently washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Why practice social distancing? (Additional information available from the CDC)

COVID-19 spreads mainly among people who are in close contact (within about 6 feet) for a prolonged period. Spread happens when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, and droplets from their mouth or nose are launched into the air and land in the mouths or noses of people nearby. The droplets can also be inhaled into the lungs. Recent studies indicate that people who are infected but do not have symptoms likely also play a role in the spread of COVID-19. Since people can spread the virus before they know they are sick, it is important to stay at least 6 feet away from others when possible, even if you—or they—do not have any symptoms. Social distancing is especially important for people who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

If you are sick with COVID-19, have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, or have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, it is important to stay home and away from other people until it is safe to be around others.

COVID-19 can live for hours or days on a surface, depending on factors such as sunlight, humidity, and the type of surface. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes. However, this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads. Social distancing helps limit opportunities to come in contact with contaminated surfaces and infected people outside the home.

Although the risk of severe illness may be different for everyone, anyone can get and spread COVID-19. Everyone has a role to play in slowing the spread and protecting themselves, their family, and their community. In addition to practicing everyday steps to prevent COVID-19, keeping space between you and others is one of the best tools we have to avoid being exposed to this virus and slowing its spread in communities.

Bring in Outdoor Air

According to the CDC, reducing the concentration of the virus is important because people are most likely to become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 through exposure to respiratory droplets when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs, or sings. The virus can hang in the air for prolonged periods and build up in enclosed, unventilated spaces.

Enclosed environments—whether a room or a car or other vehicle-- are riskier than outdoor environments because the volume of virus can build up in space with little ventilation. If you or your family members or roommates are at risk of being exposed to COVID-19 infection at school or at work, workplace, try to increase the flow of outside air by opening—or even cracking open- windows. But do not open windows and doors if doing so poses a safety or health risk to children or other family members (e.g., risk of falling or triggering asthma symptoms).

Learn more about how to use ventilation to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in indoor spaces.

Similarly, when traveling in a car, taxi or van with other people who might be at risk, keeping your car windows open a crack is an easy way to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. In addition, make sure that your cars climate control is set to bring in fresh air, not to recirculate air inside the vehicle. Finally, wear your mask and encourage all passengers to keep their masks on.

Source: HSPH Harvard

Wash Your Hands Properly

Under NJ Executive Order 192, employers are required to provide workers have breaks to practice proper hand hygiene. Handwashing or using a hand sanitizer reduces the spread of infections and decreases the risk of getting sick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing hands with plain soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating and after coughing, sneezing, or blowing one’s nose and after going to the bathroom.

Here are five steps to proper handwashing:

Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap
Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice
Rinse your hands well under clean, running water
Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

If soap and water are not available, CDC recommends consumers use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Demonstration: Proper Hand Washing

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