COVID-19: Meharry President recommends wearing masks in public

Nashville residents have been advised to wear masks in public in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.

ABSENCE OF WIDESPREAD TESTING,IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN DOBESIDES SHELTERING AT HOME?YES, THERE IS.ALL OF US CAN WEAR A MASK WHOARE OUT IN PUBLIC.LET ME EMPHASIZE, AND THIS HASTO BE EMPHASIZED, THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS ON THE FRONT LINEMUST HAVE THE HIGHEST PRIORITYFOR PERSONAL PROTECTIVEEQUIPMENT.THAT SAID, THERE'S A REASON WHYIN CHINA AND SOUTH KOREAEVERYONE WEARS A MASK WHENTHEY'RE OUT IN PUBLIC.AND AT LEAST ONE MAJOR STUDYSHOWED THAT THAT CUT THE RATE OFTRANSMISSION BY 50%.COMBINING THE WEARING A MASKPLUS THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAVEBEEN DONE PROBABLY ACCOUNTS FORTHE BETTER OUTCOMES IN THOSECOUNTRIES THAN IN OTHERCOUNTRIES.KEEP IN MIND, I'VE MASS SERVEDTWO PURPOSES, DEPENDING ON WHO'SWEARING THEM.THEY CAN REDUCE THE RISK OFGETTING THE VIRUS FROM SOMEONEWHO WAS INFECTED.THEY ALSO REDUCE THE RISK OFTRANSMITTING THE VIRUS FROM ANINFECTED PERSON TO AN UNINFECTEDPERSON.WHAT THAT MEANS IS THATEVERYBODY IS WEARING A MASKREGARDLESS OF WHO HAS THE VIRUS.THE CHAIN OF TRANSMISSION WOULDBE REDUCED.IF COVID-19 GAVE US A CLEARSIGNAL EARLY ON OF WHO ISINFECTED, WE WOULD NEED TO TAKETHIS APPROACH.IF WE COULD TEXT EVERYONE TO SEEIF THEY HAD COVID-19, WE WOULDNEED TO TAKE THIS APPROACH.SINCE NEITHER IS THE CASE, IT'SPROBABLY TIME TO ADD ANOTHERMAJOR EFFORT TO CONTROLLING THEVIRUS AND THAT PROBABLY IS THATWHEN YOU GO OUT AND ONLY IF YOUGO OUT -- HAVE TO GO OUT THATYOU WEAR MASK.THERE IS A NATIONAL URGENCY, I'MGOING TO REMEET THIS, THAT THEPPE MUST BE RESERVED FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND THOSE ON THEFRONT LINE.SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE RESORTED TOMAKING HOMEMADE MASKS OUT OFBANDANAS AND OTHER TYPES OMATERIALS.THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS YOUREALLY NEED TO KNOW IF YOU'REDOING THIS.IF THE MASK HAS SERVED ITSPURPOSE, THERE IS EVERYPOSSIBILITY IT'S CONTAMINATED ONTHE OUTER SURFACE.WHAT THAT MEANS IS YOU SHOULD DOTWO THINGS.WASH YOUR HANDS WHEN YOU TAKE ITOFF AND STERILIZE IT OR SANITIZEIT IF YOU'RE GOING TO USE IREPEATEDLY.IF POSSIBLE, WASH IT IN SOAP ANDWATER AND IF IT'S MADE OUT OFCLOTH OR HAS NO METAL STAPLES INIT, YOU CAN DO WHAT I DO.STICK IT IN A PLASTIC BAG AMICROWAVE IT FOR TWO OR THREEMINUTES AT A HIGH SETTING.MANY STUDIES SHOW MANY, MANYTYPES OF BACTERIA ARE KILLED BYMAKE WAIVE RADIATIONMICROWAVE RADIATION.IT MUST COMPATIBLE WITHMICROWAVE AND IF IT IS STICK ITIN A PLASTIC BAG AND ZAP IT FORTWO OR THREE MINUTES AT THEHIGHEST SETTING.I WANT TO EMPHASIZE AS Y HEARDEARLIER THAT OUR BEST STRATEGYSTILL FOR CONTROLLING THE VIRUSIS TO STAY AT HOME.MY HEART BREAKS EVERY TIME IHEAR A NEW STORY ABOUT A NURSINGHOME WHERE THE PEOPLE HAVEGOTTEN INFECTED.THE VIRUS IS NOT FLOATING IN THEAIR.SOMEONE DELIVERED THE VIRUS TOTHAT FACILITY.THAT'S HOW IT STARTED.SOMEONE WAS A VECTOR.PLEASE STAY AT HOME.COMPLY WITH THE ORDER TO STAY ATHOME.ONLY GO OUT WHEN YOU ABSOLUTELYHAVE TO.AND IF YOU HAVE TO GO OUT,PLEASE C