Mask guidance when visiting Mayo Clinic

This is terrible! Being originally from Minnesota and having worked there in Health Care, I think this should not happen! One can always find a way to safely help those, who have medical reasons not to wear a mask. I feel someb ody dropped the ball here, and should be held responsible.

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@jeanern01 Medical facilities including hospitals and medical offices have the added burden to provide as much protection to vulnerable patients/visitors/people as they can. Like so many here on Mayo Clinic Connect, I fall into that "vulnerable" group, and appreciate what is done to urge protection for everyone. And like so many here, I am tired of Covid, but more scared what might happen to me if I get exposed and fall victim to it, even with my vaccinations and booster!

What is tough is all we see (members, mentors, moderators, and general readers alike) is words on a page. We cannot hear the inflection in words, nor see another person's facial expression, to "get" the full meaning of those words! It is a true enough negative when it comes to reading posts here. I have learned to read with a blank slate in my mind, and try to see how someone else might have sounded like or expressed in facial movements, plus their words. In the end, we are communicating, and that is always good, don't you think?
Ginger

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Thank you everyone for the respectful debate about masks and their effectiveness for reducing the spread of COVID-19 and for other medical purposes.

Several studies and information have been referenced in the course of the conversation. Allow me to post links and information:
- Effectiveness of Adding a Mask Recommendation to Other Public Health Measures to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Danish Mask Wearers (2020) https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/m20-6817
Q: Did a recent study in Denmark show that face masks are useless for COVID-19?
A: No. The study found that face masks did not have a large protective effect for wearers — not that masks provide no protection at all or don’t offer benefits to others.
https://www.factcheck.org/2020/11/danish-study-doesnt-prove-masks-dont-work-against-the-coronavirus/
- The curious case of the Danish mask study (2020) https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4586/rr-6

- The Impact of Mask Distribution and Promotion on Mask Uptake and COVID-19 in Bangladesh (2021) https://www.poverty-action.org/study/impact-mask-distribution-and-promotion-mask-uptake-and-covid-19-bangladesh
- Q&A: The Massive Bangladesh Mask Trial, Unmasked https://www.globalhealthnow.org/2021-09/qa-massive-bangladesh-mask-trial-unmasked

From Mayo Clinic
Face masks combined with other preventive measures, such as getting vaccinated, frequent hand-washing and physical distancing, can help slow the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.
- How well do face masks protect against COVID-19? https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-mask/art-20485449

Our policy on campus as of March 2022 https://www.mayoclinic.org/covid-19#mask-policy
Mayo Clinic requires all patients, visitors and staff to wear masks while on our campuses to guard against COVID-19 transmission.

Patients and visitors will be offered Mayo Clinic-provided surgical/procedural masks when they go through the screening process or when they check in. Patients with unacceptable masks, which are those with exhalation valves, neck gaiters or bandanas, will be required to wear medical-grade masks (surgical/procedural, N95 or KN-95), whether they are provided by Mayo Clinic or patients provide them.

To stay up-to-date with masking policy at Mayo Clinic and our research and guidance on COVID 19, please visit this regularly updated website: https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19

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Thanks so much Colleen. I hope that people would also read the studies themselves. https://www.poverty-action.org/sites/default/files/publications/Mask_RCT____Symptomatic_Seropositivity_083121.pdf and https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-6817 Sadly, one must go back to the original sources. But perhaps that's not sad at all! Perhaps that's what we should have been doing this entire time. I think it's better to be positive about the matter. God bless

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Thank you @berdyaev11. I also posted links to the original studies. I think it is vital to refer to the original source and to read the studies.

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KN 95 and surgical masks that filter the smallest particles have been my mask of choice since the beginning of the pandemic. I would wear 2 surgical masks or one K N-95 mask which has a tighter fit. The new Omicron variant is so infectious extra protection is necessary. We still need to avoid close contact as best we can even with a mask on. Mayo is leading the way with policy.

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@jeanern01 Medical facilities including hospitals and medical offices have the added burden to provide as much protection to vulnerable patients/visitors/people as they can. Like so many here on Mayo Clinic Connect, I fall into that "vulnerable" group, and appreciate what is done to urge protection for everyone. And like so many here, I am tired of Covid, but more scared what might happen to me if I get exposed and fall victim to it, even with my vaccinations and booster!

What is tough is all we see (members, mentors, moderators, and general readers alike) is words on a page. We cannot hear the inflection in words, nor see another person's facial expression, to "get" the full meaning of those words! It is a true enough negative when it comes to reading posts here. I have learned to read with a blank slate in my mind, and try to see how someone else might have sounded like or expressed in facial movements, plus their words. In the end, we are communicating, and that is always good, don't you think?
Ginger

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