COVID-19 masks

Masks are being worn more frequently in Australia to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Here are some resources:

• Speech Pathology Australia: Access to surgical masks "The Australian Department of Health has provided national guidance on prioritisation. Several allied health professions have been deemed high priority. These are: Speech pathologists, Respiratory physiotherapists, Sonographers, Diagnostic radiographers"

• RCSLT recommends transparent face masks to assist with communication access.
• Hello masks (transparent masks) are being developed in Switzerland to enable people to see the face of the person wearing the mask. 
• Clearmask is recommended by the NHS and RCSLT in the UK: https://buy.theclearmask.com/

• "To mask or not to mask" - research evidence from Eikenberry et al. (2020). 

"Our results suggest use of face masks by the general public is potentially of high value in curtailing community transmission and the burden of the pandemic. The community-wide benefits are likely to be greatest when face masks are used in conjunction with other non-pharmaceutical practices (such as social-distancing), and when adoption is nearly universal (nation-wide) and compliance is high." (Eikenberry et al., 2020, p. 293)