SARASOTA — A "humble" solution to slowing the current wave of the coronavirus could be as simple as putting on cloth at public gatherings, according to infectious disease experts at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.
Dr. Manuel Gordillo, director of infection prevention and control at SMH, said cloth masks are as effective as medical-grade masks when it comes to reducing the transmission of the coronavirus, a severe respiratory illness that has killed more than 3,000 people in Florida.
Gordillo and intensive care unit physician Kirk Voelker responded to questions in an hourlong video interview on Monday. Among the topics were mask recommendations, rising cases of coronavirus among younger people, and ICU bed capacity.
"We don’t have a whole lot of things we can use against this COVID epidemic," said Gordillo, one of the first people in Sarasota County to be quarantined for coronavirus. "We don’t have vaccines, we don’t have monoclonal antibodies (laboratory-produced treatments), we don’t have a medication we can use that works as we do for influenza. We need to resort to the traditional, almost ancient practices of nonpharmaceutical interventions that have proven effective in other pandemics or other viruses.
"One of them is mask use."
Voelker responded to questions circulating on social media that the ICU at SMH was full. He said six ICU beds are being used by COVID-19 positive patients, while 36 others are for noncoronavirus related issues, such as heart attacks.
During the height of the COVID-19 season, SMH had three intensive care units for coronavirus patients, including surge capacity. However, it hasn’t needed them.
Real-time hospital census numbers reported to the Agency for Hospital Administration seem to indicate that SMH’s intensive care unit is full.
Those numbers reported by SMH reflect the number of staffed beds, not physical beds.
"Right now we are staffing to our need," Voelker says. "Our need may be 50 nurses, which can cover 30 beds. The amount reflected by the state numbers is not our full capacity."
SMH spokeswoman Kim Savage says the hospital has the capacity to staff 62 beds and can staff for a surge of more than 100 within 48 hours.
"These volumes are normal for this time of year," Savage said. "It is not due to COVID. This time last year, our census was 670. It was 609 this afternoon."
Savage says the state collects surge capacity each morning but does not display it on its website.
’Act of solidarity’
More is known about the transmission of COVID-19 since the outbreak started in January that has led doctors to reverse ground and recommend masks, after first saying face coverings weren’t the way to go.
Gordillo said more evidence was needed to prove masks were effective in reducing the spread of the virus.
"We thought that in order for us to prescribe masks we had to prove this virus could be transmitted before the onset of symptoms," he said. "We had to have more evidence that indeed it is worthwhile and wouldn’t cause more trouble than benefits. Over time, those requirements have been met. We know for sure the virus gets transmitted before you become symptomatic and there is good scientific evidence that indeed a mask can protect people from acquiring COVID-19 and disseminating it to others."
Gordillo calls mask-wearing an "act of solidarity" for others in the community. Experts believe wearing a mask could cut transmission by 50%, which is the minimum requirement to get the virus to extinguish itself.
"We are talking bout 70 to 80 percent if there is the proper consistent wearing of masks," he said. "If we do that, we have a way of actually cutting down the transmission to a point we can extinguish the wave of this virus at the current level."
Public support
Sarasota weighed in on a poll posted by the Herald-Tribune in the Facebook group (COVID-19) Sarasota, and 270 individuals polled felt masks should be worn, and 30 said only indoors.
Eight people who responded did not think masks should be mandatory.
Pamela Lyon of Sarasota said, "Definitely indoors and around crowds, but if you're alone outside, I feel OK personally, mask not needed. I'm trying to be very conscientious, and I'm still in lockdown mode."
Sara Burnett said making masks mandatory would be good for everybody.
"We wear masks to keep others safe, they wear masks to keep us safe," she said. "Sarasotans and Floridians as a whole seem to want to continue opening up businesses in order to save our economy. Requiring masks would enable us to do that in a much safer way than we have seen so far. … Nobody bats an eyelash when they are required, as we always are, to wear shirts and shoes in a place of business."
Rebecca Walsh of Sarasota said, "Outside, exercising, where social distancing can be maintained, I don't think so. But in crowded areas and all indoor areas, absolutely."
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