06/22/2020    

PODIATRISTS AND THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

NC Podiatrist Urges Double-Masking to Prevent Spread of COVID-19

 

Gastonia’s elected leaders are closely monitoring the recent upward climb in the number of positive cases and hospitalizations due to Covid-19 in Gaston County. Council member Dave Kirlin, DPM, along with the mayor, took part in Thursday’s Masks for Gastonia event where they were giving away 1,400 cotton masks to members of the public. Dr. Kirlin, who is a podiatrist, says it makes medical sense to wear masks. He said double-masking would make it harder for infected people — who might be unaware they are infected — to spread the virus to others.

 

Dr. David Kirlin

 

“The effectiveness of double masking may be as effective as the vaccine that we’re waiting on,” he said. “We could be achieving the same thing a vaccine would if we all just wore our masks. I would support mandatory masks, absolutely.” Kirlin said he has struggled to understand people’s hesitancy on wearing a mask and believes it could be the fact they haven’t personally experienced the consequences of becoming infected.

 

Source: Michael Banks, Gaston Gazette [6/19/20]