As Ohio continues with daily life during a pandemic, the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) and other physician and health care organizations strongly encourage everyone to remember: Doctor’s Orders: Mask+6.
A new social media campaign is underway urging Ohioans to wear a face covering and practice physical distancing when in public.
As part of the campaign, the OAFP is asking its members across the state to share the Doctor’s Orders: Mask+6 campaign logo in their practice locations and on practice websites to help spread the word.
Nationwide, COVID-19 has claimed over 128,000 lives in four months and over a half million across the globe. More than 50 countries and a growing number of U.S. states and localities have mandated the wearing of masks in public.
“We urge patients to wear a mask or face covering while providing physical distance with others when in public,” said OAFP President Anna McMaster, MD. She stressed that the highly contagious novel coronavirus is thought to spread mainly by close contact from person-to-person. “Some individuals can contract COVID-19 and never have any symptoms, so they don’t know they have it. The virus can spread even between individuals without symptoms. That’s why the Doctor’s Orders: Mask+6 campaign is so important.”
The virus impacts everyone differently, as some never feel sick while for others it is deadly. In particular, older adults and those with severe underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of developing more serious complications. In Ohio, the average age of coronavirus patients is 42, with almost 60% in the 20-49 year old range.
In addition to using face coverings and distancing, family physicians should urge patients and the public-at-large to follow all safety guidelines to prevent spread such as regular hand washing and not touching your face.
If you want to go a step further in helping promote the Doctor’s Orders: Mask+6 campaign, the OAFP Foundation is selling new Doctor’s Orders merchandise in the Foundation store for members to wear in their communities. All proceeds from the sale of merchandise items in the Foundation’s store will go directly to funding scholarships and stipends for students and residents participating in Foundation programs. It’s a win-win!
In addition to the OAFP, other medical organizations involved in the campaign include the Ohio State Medical Association; the Ohio Osteopathic Association; the Ohio Chapter, American College of Emergency Physicians; the Ohio Psychiatric Physicians Association; and the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers.