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Caution: Some County Health Departments Are Requiring Surgical Masks for Health Care Professionals, Rather Than Cloth Face Coverings
Check With Your Local Health Department(s) or Risk Possible 14-Day Work Exclusion If You or Your Office Staff Are Exposed The MAC office has received word that some county health departments are enforcing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines that require healthcare personnel (HCP) to wear respiratory personal protective equipment (PPE) or face workplace restrictions, including exclusion from work for up to 14 days from the date of last exposure, if a patient, visitor, or HCP has a confirmed case of COVID-19. For these purposes, according to CDC, surgical masks and N95 masks are appropriate respiratory PPE. However, for an N95 mask to be considered effective, an individual has to go through fit testing, and it cannot be a “construction grade” N95 mask, because they have a release valve that opens when the person breathes out. Cloth
face masks are not considered respiratory PPE, according to CDC, “because their capability to protect HCP is unknown.”
Guidance from CDC states:
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CDC definitions and/or explanations for HCP, prolonged exposure, close contact, confirmed COVID-19, facemask, last exposure, and more can be found online here. Information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on N95 Respirators, Surgical Masks, and Face Masks can be found here. CDC guidance regarding risk assessment for healthcare providers can be found here.
Examples – Kent and Ottawa Counties
Both Kent and Ottawa counties are strictly following this guidance from CDC. At least one chiropractor and massage therapist we know of has been forced to quarantine for 14 days after a patient received a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, because
they were only wearing a cloth face covering, rather than a surgical mask.
We expect that other counties/municipalities could follow suit, and we recommend:
- Opening a line of communication with your local health department(s) to determine their policy or policies regarding health care facilities and a positive diagnosis for of COVID-19 for
patients, staff, or visitors.
- Wearing a surgical mask when providing care for all patients, and providing surgical masks to all staff who have even minimal contact with patients or outside visitors, so as not to be excluded from working should a patient, etc., have a confirmed case of COVID-19 and your county decide to strictly implement these CDC guidelines.
Surgical Masks – Purchase OptionsThe MAC recommends shopping local during the COVID-19 pandemic whenever possible. Many chiropractic supply and other companies have had to pivot during this crisis, opening up new product lines to provide Michigan chiropractors with the tools they need to tackle the crisis head-on. Three companies familiar to anyone who has attended a MAC convention over the past decades – Barge Nutrition and Supply, ScripHessco, and SpineAlign – are now adding surgical masks to their product line. - Barge Nutrition and Supply: Click here for products and pricing. Contact: Bruce Barge, info@bargesupply.com.
- ScripHessco: Click here for product and pricing. Most products ship in 1-2 business days. Contact: Larry Knutson, Midwest Sales Representative, lknutson@scripco.com.
- Spine Align: Click here for product and pricing. Ships in 1-2 business days. Contact: Tom Buis, Jr, tom@coronabiocide.com.
Employee ConsiderationsWhat if an employee or other health care personnel (or one of their family members) has been exposed
to COVID-19 but public health officials or their healthcare providers have not recommended or required a quarantine? According to guidance from the State of Michigan, an employer can require such an employee to say home from work. The State
encourages employers to allow employees to use earned sick time in this situation.State of Michigan Issues Clarification for Businesses Regarding Mask Requirement
Executive Order 2020-153 States Businesses Can Accept a Customer’s Verbal Representation That They Cannot Medically Tolerate a Face Covering
Last Friday, July 17, 2020, Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued Executive Order 2020-153, clarifying her previous order requiring all Michiganders to wear a mask in indoor public spaces, crowded outdoor spaces, and while using public transportation. Under the
new order, Michigan businesses may not assume that an unmasked customer cannot medically tolerate a face covering, though they can ask and accept a customer’s verbal representation to that effect. The order rescinds Executive Order 2020-147, which was issued July 10th. Under the order, the requirement to wear a face covering does not apply to individuals who: · Are younger than five years old· Cannot medically tolerate a face covering· Are eating or drinking while seated at a food service establishment· Are exercising when wearing a face covering would interfere in the activity, or· Are at a polling place for purposes of voting in an election The order states: “A business may not assume that someone who enters the business without a face covering falls in one of the exceptions specified… including the exception for
individuals who cannot medically tolerate a face covering. A business may, however, accept a customer’s verbal representation that they are not wearing a face covering because they fall within a specified exception.” Source: Governor Gretchen Whitmer Press Release, “Governor Whitmer Strengthens Executive Order on Masks,” July 17, 2020
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