Face coverings help prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019

By Scott WakefieldJuly 1, 2020

Billy Breeden (left) and Christian Gierak (right), Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Desktop Support-G6, practice social distancing and the wear of cloth face coverings while working on laptops at the Detroit Arsenal.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that wearing cloth face coverings helps slow the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019.
Billy Breeden (left) and Christian Gierak (right), Tank-automotive and Armaments Command Desktop Support-G6, practice social distancing and the wear of cloth face coverings while working on laptops at the Detroit Arsenal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that wearing cloth face coverings helps slow the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

In an April 3, 2020 article for Nature Medicine magazine, research from public health professionals showed that wearing a face covering over the nose and mouth can help prevent a person from spreading a viral pathogen into the air through talking, coughing, or sneezing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has concluded that individuals infected with COVID-19 may not know they are infected and may still be able to infect others. Wearing a face covering when unable to socially distance from others helps prevent asymptomatic individuals from spreading the virus.

Adam Crafard, Director for Safety and Occupational Health at Tank-automotive and Armaments Command is leading the command’s effort to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 on the Detroit Arsenal.

“It’s important to wear the face mask on the Arsenal when you’re away from your work station because it provides an additional layer of protection,” Crafard said, “Face masks – along with cleaning, sanitizing, and social distancing – help protect our employees and families from the spread of COVID-19.”

Since the beginning of the pandemic earlier this year, Army Materiel Command has altered its priorities to protecting the workforce, combating the virus, and continuing to support the Army mission.

Following recommended measures from the CDC could help mitigate the spread of the virus and help accomplish those goals.

“The current TACOM policy is for the entire workforce to wear a cloth face covering any time they are away from their own desk or while at their workstation when social distancing cannot be maintained,” said Crafard.

Masks alone are not the answer – that is why it is important to follow all CDC guidelines to help slow the spread of COVID-19, including:

• Wearing a face covering in public or when around other people at work

• Washing hands regularly

• Wiping down commonly touched surfaces with disinfectant to get rid of lingering germs

• Maintaining social distancing whenever possible