The American College of Radiology is throwing its weight behind efforts urging physicians to wear masks and fight the spread of misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ACR joins the American Medical Association, which first launched the campaign last week as a means to “normalize” mask wearing and “debunk myths.” In its own announcement, the college cited CDC guidance stating that if everyone wore a face covering for the next four to eight weeks, the U.S. could “drastically reduce cases” of the disease.
“The American College of Radiology fully supports the American Medical Association’s new public health campaign called #MaskUp,” ACR said in an update shared Aug. 5. “As physician leaders, we can set an example and help people understand their risks for transmission through clear and simple communication, rooted in science.”
Since then, ACR has shared several radiologists’ calls to cover up, in states including Colorado, Hawaii, Washington and Wisconsin. “The message is clear: Everyone must #MaskUp to protect themselves and others,” the college tweeted Aug. 6.
In a JAMA editorial published last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention touted the importance of face coverings in stopping COVID’s spread. The agency also highlighted a recent incident in which two Missouri hair stylists, who later tested positive for the virus, helped stop the spread by wearing masks and asking customers to do the same.
AMA asked physicians to make face coverings a part of their daily wardrobes while also practicing social distancing and hand hygiene.
“COVID-19 respects no geographic, demographic or ideological boundaries, and unfortunately it shows no signs of going away any time soon,” President Susan Bailey, MD, said in a statement. “But there are simple steps we can all take to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities.”
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.