Dr. Dan Brennan's Prescription for a Healthy Classroom

Recently, Dr. Daniel Brennan, a pediatrician from Santa Barbara, California (we like to call him "Dr. Dan") wrote about kids returning to classrooms in the COVID-19 era. As students return to schools across America, an interconnected network of people resume to not only exchange information, but potentially COVID-19 pathogens, and bring them home to social circles that were previously social distant from other circles. With that in mind, Dr. Dan writes:

Safety Starts with Masks

Correct and consistent mask use is a step that everyone can take to prevent the infection and spread of COVID-19. Masks work best when everyone wears them, but not all masks are equally protective. You should select a mask based on how well it fits, how well it filters the air and how many layers it has.

Wearing a well-fitting mask at school will help reduce the spread of COVID-19 (and other viruses). Choose a mask with multiple layers that fits snugly around your mouth and nose. A single-layer gaiter or a mask with gaps around your cheeks or nose will not protect you or the people around you as well. Choosing a mask with a bendable nose wire will help create a tighter seal and offer you a more comfortable fit.

My advice is to find masks that are comfortable, constructed with multiple layers, fit your child’s face well, do not fall below her nose and stay in place. A company called Lutema has created a series of youth, small adult and adult masks that check all of the CDC boxes and is what we will be using for our kids. It is almost identical to the style of mask that I wear all day long in my office.

 

(Read the entire article here)

-- 

Dr. Daniel Brennan, MD, FAAP specializes in pediatrics & adolescent medicine. He practices in Santa Barbara, California and is an advocate for Lutema's premium filtration Made in the USA masks.