Lakeside Family Optometry

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MASK CONFUSION: We should have told people to wear cloth masks right off the bat, says UCSF epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford. Both the CDC and World Healt...h Organization (WHO) now recommend cloth masks for the general public, but their delay in recommending masks earlier in the pandemic may have sowed confusion among the public about the utility of masks. Health experts say the evidence is clear that masks can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and that the more people wearing masks, the better. Dr. Rutherford and UCSF infectious disease specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong lay out the facts about face masks and why they may be our most important tool in this pandemic. Jump straight to the full story on UCSF.edu: http://tiny.ucsf.edu/uCWgnZ -- Why did the CDC reverse its guidance on wearing masks? -- Original CDC guidance partly was based on what was thought to be low disease prevalence early in the pandemic, said Chin-Hong. So, of course, you’re preaching that the juice isn’t really worth the squeeze to have the whole population wear masks in the beginning but that was really a reflection of not having enough testing, anyway, he said. We were getting a false sense of security. Rutherford was more blunt. Legitimate concern that limited supply of surgical masks and N95 respirators should be saved for health workers should not have prevented more nuanced messaging about the benefits of masking. We should have told people to wear cloth masks right off the bat, he said. What may have finally convinced the CDC to change its guidance in favor of masks were rising disease prevalence and a clearer understanding that both pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission are possible even common. I think the biggest thing with COVID now that shapes all of this guidance on masks is that we can’t tell who’s infected, said Chin-Hong. You can’t look in a crowd and say, oh, that person should wear mask. There’s a lot of asymptomatic infection, so everybody has to wear a mask. -- Is there evidence that masks can prevent COVID-19? -- Yes, there are several strands of evidence supporting the efficacy of masks. Lab studies have shown that masks can block respiratory droplets that carry the virus. An experiment using high-speed video found that hundreds of droplets ranging from 20-500 micrometers were generated when saying a simple phrase, but that nearly all these droplets were blocked when the mouth was covered by a damp washcloth. Another study of people who had influenza or the common cold found that wearing a surgical mask significantly reduced the amount of virus emitted in droplets and aerosols. But the strongest evidence in favor of masks come from studies of real-world scenarios. The most important thing are the epidemiologic data, said Rutherford. Because it would be unethical to assign people to not wear a mask during a pandemic, the epidemiological evidence has come from so-called experiments of nature. A recent study compared the COVID-19 growth rate before and after mask mandates in 15 states and the District of Columbia. It found that mask mandates led to a slowdown in daily COVID-19 growth rate, which became more apparent over time. The first five days after a mandate, the daily growth rate slowed by 0.9 percentage-points compared to the five days prior to the mandate; at three weeks, the daily growth rate had slowed by 2 percentage-points. Another study looked at coronavirus deaths across 198 countries and found that those with cultural norms or government policies favoring mask-wearing had lower death rates. Two compelling case reports also suggest that masks can prevent transmission in high-risk scenarios. In one case, a man flew from China to Toronto and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. He had a dry cough and wore a mask on the flight, and all 25 people closest to him on the flight tested negative for COVID-19. In another case two hair stylists in Missouri had close contact with 140 clients while sick with COVID-19. Everyone wore a mask and none of the clients tested positive. -- If we’re social distancing, do we still need to wear masks? -- A mnemonic that Chin-Hong likes is the Three W’s to ward off COVID-19: wearing a mask, washing your hands, and watching your distance. But of the three, the most important thing is wearing a mask, he said. Compared to wearing a mask, cleaning your iPhone or wiping down your groceries are just distractors. There’s little evidence that fomites (contaminated surfaces) are a major source of transmission, whereas there is a lot of evidence of transmission through inhaled droplets, said Chin-Hong. You should always wear masks and socially distance, said Rutherford. I would be hesitant to try to parse it apart. But, yes, I think mask wearing is more important. Read more about choosing the best mask and how many people need to wear masks to make a difference: http://tiny.ucsf.edu/uCWgnZ

https://www.thehealthy.com//places-doctors-avoid-coronav/ Please stay safe until a vaccine is available

https://www.facebook.com/nimisha.amin.92/videos/10223677618313736/

Our office will be closed on Wednesday 6/3 for the safety of our patients and staff. We apologize for any inconvenience.Our office will be closed on Wednesday 6/3 for the safety of our patients and staff. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Sorry, we had to close a bit earlier due to 6:00 pm curfew.Sorry, we had to close a bit earlier due to 6:00 pm curfew.

Visual experiment for you conspiracy theorists: I coughed on two petri dishes, one while wearing a mask and one not. Shocking! The one on the left with no growt...h is the one I used a mask for! The one on the right where I didn't wear a mask is full of bacteria. So yeah, maybe cloth masks don't give you much protection, but they protect the people around you. Maybe wear one if you insist it's your constitutional right to eat at Chili's. EDIT: There's been a lot of questions regarding this experiment, so here's some answers: 1. I used a cloth mask I made myself with disposable lab coat material. 2. I used blood agar. 3. The plate on the right looks "old" or "stale" because of the growth. Some of the organisms on this plate are alpha hemolytic, meaning they partially hemolyze blood. The agar itself is made with 5% sheep's blood, so when it's partially hemolyzed, it turns a dark green color. 4. As for the growth, it's mostly viridans strep, staph species (not staph aureus), neisseria species, and corynebacterium. Pretty normal oral flora. 5. I realize that viruses are 1,000 times smaller than bacteria. The point of the masks is to prevent droplet spread, which carry bacteria as well as viruses. Whoo, this post got popular! Thanks for sharing!

Face coverings reduce airborne transmission of novel coronavirus. Infectious aerosol particles can be released during breathing and speaking by asymptomatic, infected individuals. Read more: https://science.sciencemag.org//early/2020/05/27/science.a #OCCOVID19

Wearing a cloth face covering CORRECTLY can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others. When you go out on essential trips, follow these do’s. If you have a child, remember those under age 2 should not wear a face covering. See: https://bit.ly/2R9av5m

Written by a pulmonologist, please take a look: COVID-19 (Coronavirus) L.A. We have learned much about Coronavirus in the last several days. I have now personally cared for countless patients with COVID-19. The number of cases in Los Angeles will likely peak in the coming week, test results will follow a week later to confirm this. Then the rare patients who will fall ill, will do so in the coming weeks. Those needing ICU care will appear one to two weeks after that. Throug...h April and early May, there will be a death toll. The most dangerous time is now through mid-April. Then there will be the aftermath. The month of June will be grizzly. Business will likely restart in earnest July 1. Testing is becoming available through medical centers and private laboratories. We are seeing pop-up drive-through testing centers now. However they are still hard to find online. Please avoid walking into Emergency Departments unless you are truly ill. Prevention The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. Stay home and follow current government restrictions on gatherings and movement. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Avoid shaking hands. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Wash your hands with soap and water frequently. Soap and water work better than hand sanitizer on viruses. Wipe down take out containers and throw them away, wash your hands, enjoy your meal. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Make sure you have an extra supply of your medication. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. Face masks will not protect you. They are for people who are feeling ill and have to go in public. Symptoms May appear in 2-14 days. Include: Fever, Cough, Shortness of Breath If you have symptoms, pick up the phone and call [your doctor]. [They] can use telemedicine if appropriate. Treatment and other Tips: Stay hydrated, this will help your mucus stay thin so it can wash away things you inhale. Exercise, it cleans out your lungs-- literally. Zinc lozenges protect your respiratory cells. If you feel feverish or develop a cough please suck on them throughout the day. Avoid anti-inflammatory drugs such as Aleve (naproxen) or Advil (ibuprofen). Ibuprofen increases an enzyme that helps COVID-19 viral particles bind to respiratory cells. Use Tylenol for now. Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) is now being used along with azithromycin to treat COVID-19. We will get through this. Prepared by C Andrew Schroeder, MD, 03/20/2020