Iowa Board of Medicine issues advisory for mask use in public places
The Iowa Board of Medicine issued a face mask advisory Monday to help slow the spread of coronavirus in the state.
According to the advisory, the Iowa Board of Medicine decided to join the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in recommending face mask use after “reviewing the considerable evidence from clinical, laboratory and case reports.”
The advisory recommends that Iowans wear masks in public and when around individuals they do not live with.
The board said masks can help prevent people with COVID-19 from spreading it to others and that they are most likely to reduce virus spread when widely used in public settings.
It also said masks with valves or vents should not be used to prevent the wearer from spreading COVID-19 to others.
Children under age two should not wear masks, according to the board. The board also advises against masks for persons with trouble breathing, who are unconscious, incapacitated or unable to remove the mask without help.
The board warned that masks do not replace social distancing measures, especially for high-risk individuals.
It also encouraged physicians to train individuals, including children, on proper face mask use.