Published on April 01, 2020
When You're Covered, We're All Covered
Dr. Tim Quinn
A Message from Dr. Tim Quinn, Mercy Executive Vice President and Chief of Clinical Operations:
We can't say it enough: THANK YOU to everyone who has donated homemade masks to Mercy! Because of this overwhelming generosity and show of community support, Mercy is now able to further ramp up its efforts to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
As a result, if you come to the hospital or a Mercy or MercyCare clinic, you'll notice that we look a little different. That's because we're now encouraging ALL of our employees, patients and visitors to wear one of the homemade masks that have been donated to us.
Additionally, because cloth masks can help reduce the spread of droplets to those around you (and the virus may be spreading among asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic people), we invite you to join us, too! Download instructions to make your own mask at: www.mercycare.org/masks. If you have a mask, wear it whenever you're outside of your home – because when you're covered, we're all covered.
So, step up, mask up and do your part to help us fight back against the spread of the coronavirus in our area!
Frequently Asked Questions
Should members of the community wear cloth masks?
If you have one or can make one, we invite you to wear it when you are out in public. Cloth masks are a first line of defense in slowing down the spread of COVD-19 by helping to shield an individual’s droplets from infecting those around them.
I don’t have a mask and don’t know where to get one.
We encourage those who have a mask to wear one, but this is not a mandate. You might consider reaching out to friends and neighbors, perhaps through social media, who may be able to get a cloth mask to you.
Is Mercy still accepting donated homemade masks?
Yes, and we could use more and are encouraging continued donations. The cloth masks are being offered to employees and visitors as they enter the hospital. Of course, healthcare workers taking care of ill patients wear personal protective equipment, such as N-95 masks or CAPRS. Individuals who wish to make masks for Mercy, or for others, may download a pattern and instructions from Mercy’s website. For questions about the masks, please contact Isaiah Corbin in Mercy’s Volunteer Office at icorbin@mercycare.org.
I’m afraid because I don’t have a mask.
The aim of Mercy's masking campaign is to encourage, not mandate, individuals to wear a mask when they are outside the home. Cloth masks are a first line of defense in slowing down the spread of COVID-19 by helping to shield an individual’s droplets from infecting those around them. They are appropriate for low-risk situations to reduce the potential spread of infection to others. If you don’t have a mask and would like one, we encourage you to make one or ask a friend who can sew to make one for you.
Isn’t there a shortage of masks? I don’t want to add to that shortage by wearing one myself.
There is a nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment – or PPE. The cloth masks are not to be used as PPE for staff taking care of ill patients. However, they are appropriate for low-risk situations as a method of shielding droplets from the person wearing the mask and reducing the potential spread of infection to others.
