Adventist Health/rideout beseeching everyone to wear masks

With growing numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths, face masks can slow the trend, according to a press release from Adventist Health/rideout.

Adventist Health has joined 100 of the nation’s top healthcare systems, representing thousands of hospitals in communities across the U.S., in an urgent plea for all Americans to “mask up.”

According to the press release, wearing a face mask is the most effective way of slowing the COVID-19 surge.

“This is critically important for Yuba-sutter,” said Adventist Health/

Rideout President Rick Rawson. “People we love in our community are falling sick and are at risk of dying due to the coronavirus. Let’s all do our part and wear masks to protect each other.”

More than 11.5 million Americans have tested positive for the virus – including an additional 1 million in just the past week – leading to 250,000 deaths. As of November 18, Yuba and Sutter counties combined had 4,186 confirmed cases, 23 deaths, and

299 hospitalizations.

The three-day positivity rate for testing was 10.9 percent, covering tests in Sutter County and

8.2 percent of all tests in Yuba County.

The current trends are daunting and frightening, it was stated in the news release. If the nation stays on its current course, hospital leaders are increasingly concerned that more healthcare facilities will be overwhelmed as shortages of healthy caregivers make it difficult to handle a rapidly increasing number of patients.

The next several months will be critical.

Though there has been positive news about vaccine development, no one knows when those vaccines will be ready for widespread use.

“The country has reached a tipping point,” according to the press release. “The power to do what is right is now in the hands of everyone everywhere.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points to recent studies that have shown face masks successfully limit spread of the COVID-19 virus. Wearing face masks protects in key ways: by protecting the wearer

against inhalation of harmful pathogens and particulates and by preventing exposure of those around the wearer.

In addition to masking, the CDC suggests that everyone minimize the number of nonhousehold contacts, maintain a physical distance of at least six feet and limit the amount of time around others, especially while indoors and in poorly ventilated areas. Further information about masking guidelines – how to choose a mask, how to properly wear a mask – is available on the CDC website.