With cloth face coverings most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19 when they are widely used by people in public settings, indoors and out, masks should be worn when out in public and while one is around other people, the Arkansas Department of Health says.
"The biggest emerging issue is our growing understanding of the importance of aerosols in transmitting the virus," ADH lung specialist Dr. Sandra Chai said Wednesday. "These are not the droplets that fall to the ground, but very tiny droplets that float in the air."
Chai said anytime people from different households come together in indoor settings and breathe each other's air, there is the possibility of transmission of infection through aerosols.
"This can happen in outdoor settings also but is less likely," she said. "And while masks won't completely contain aerosols, they will greatly reduce the amount of aerosol that gets released into the air."
Most people should wear masks, but there are some people who shouldn't, the ADH website says, including children younger than 2 years old, anyone who has trouble breathing and anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the cloth face covering without assistance.
Those who should wear masks include the general public, people who know or think they might have COVID-19 and caregivers of people with COVID-19, the website says.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "recommends all people 2 years of age and older wear a cloth face covering in public settings and when around people who don't live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain," it says.
"COVID-19 can be spread by people who do not have symptoms and do not know that they are infected. That's why it's important for everyone to wear cloth face coverings in public settings and practice social distancing (staying at least 6 feet away from other people)."
If a person is sick with COVID-19 or thinks they might have COVID-19, ADH recommends not visiting public areas.
"Stay home except to get medical care," the website says. "As much as possible stay in a specific room and away from other people and pets in your home. If you need to be around other people or animals, wear a cloth face covering (including in your home)."
For those caring for someone who is sick with COVID-19 at home or in a non-health care setting may also wear a cloth face covering, according to ADH.
"However, the protective effects -- how well the cloth face covering protects healthy people from breathing in the virus -- are unknown," ADH says. "To prevent getting sick, caregivers should also continue to practice everyday preventive actions: avoid close contact as much as possible, clean hands often; avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands; and frequently clean and disinfect surfaces."
Specifically, the ADH has issued directives that include requiring face coverings for patrons of casinos, gyms, bars, restaurants, barber shops, body art establishments, cosmetology establishments, massage therapy clinics and spas, medical spas, large indoor and outdoor venues, dentists' offices, employees entering businesses, manufacturers and construction companies, and for school team sports.