The Three Ws
In my columns, I usually discuss sustainability, and I previously addressed the three R’s: reduce, reuse, and recycle—with a focus on the first, to reduce.
With faculty, staff and students returning to school, I would like to focus on the three W’s of public health: Wear a Mask, Wash Your Hands, and Watch Your Distance, also with a focus on the first one.
I think these three W’s are very related to sustainability as they have to do with continuity—of allowing people to return to work and to school with fewer disruptions.
About a month ago, my family took a cross country road trip. We did everything we could think of to minimize our exposure and to reduce transmission.
First, we stayed outdoors as much as possible. Our trip consisted mostly of hiking on lesser-used trails at non-peak times.
When we needed to pick up food, we either got it at a grocery store (where only I would go in wearing a mask) or take out from a restaurant (where again, I would pick it up wearing a mask).
We washed our hands frequently. As a backup, when hand washing was not readily available, we used hand sanitizer.
If we came across someone on a trail, we would step aside, affording our fellow trailmates six or more feet of room, if possible. When we saw a trail parking lot was full, we hiked with cloth masks.
My children grew very accustomed to this behavior. And they had a great time.
They enjoyed our country’s amazing natural resources, and we were able to support numerous local businesses.
What we saw during our travels was a great variety of behaviors and laws related to COVID-19.
In cities, counties and states that required masks, we observed a majority of people wearing masks. From truckers to suburban families, people were wearing masks and going about their business, buying donuts, getting gas, purchasing takeout.
In states where masks were advised but not required, we observed small and large gatherings of non-masked citizens going about their business.
Honestly, it was fascinating. I started taking pictures of the variety of signs I saw—I thought maybe I would share them in my business law classes.
But now, as the first day of school approaches, I am thinking about our trip again. I am thinking about the ways we sought to minimize our exposure and reduce transmission. How we sought to protect our children.
We followed health recommendations—those three W’s.
In a school setting, washing hands is certainly doable. Students can be taught or reminded how to properly wash their hands, and hand washing can be part of the school routine.
In a school setting, social distancing is not really feasible. Students and faculty can attempt to maintain the recommended distance of six feet apart, but with so many students in each class, in each bus, in each grade—distancing is likely not possible. Not if every student returns and every school opens. There simply isn’t the space or the staff to make it a reality.
That leaves the third line of defense, or the first of the W’s: wearing a mask.
When we were on the trail and couldn’t physically distance, we wore our masks. And when we saw other people and other families, including children, wearing masks, we knew our children were even safer.
You may have heard the adage “my mask protects you, your mask protects me.”
Or perhaps “wearing is caring.”
Looking at studies around the country, masks are far more effective when at least 80 percent of people are wearing them. We have all been armchair epidemiologists, searching for information to help us in our daily decision making. Numerous studies have shown that mask wearing reduces transmission in communities, especially if required and if a majority of people wear them.
That brings me back to the schools. Facial coverings are required for all faculty and for students in grades 6-12. And to be clear, all masks are facial coverings but not all facial coverings are masks.
Masks are designed to cover the nose and mouth and create a tight fit with little to no gaps. While on the road, we saw many variations, such as surgical masks, N95 respirators, and well-designed cloth masks (double layered with a filter insert).
Masks have long been used to keep individuals from getting others sick. One recent study of cruise ships discovered that on one boat, where people were not wearing masks, 80 percent of those infected with COVID-19 became symptomatic. On another cruise ship, where people were issued masks, only 20 percent of those infected became symptomatic.
Similar studies have demonstrated reduced transmissions in hair salons and hospitals—all directly attributable to mask wearing.
It is my hope that as we grapple with widespread transmission of COVID-19, a majority of our community and especially a vast majority of people in our schools who are unable to socially distance themselves will wear a mask.