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The best way to reduce the spread of Covid-19 is to practice safe social distancing, wherever possible. However, sometimes it can be hard to stay away from other people, and cloth face coverings can help provide some protection for others you come into contact with.
That is why we have introduced our new cloth face coverings, which you may be asked to wear during your time in Hospital. They can also be worn when you can’t practise safe social distancing e.g. on public transport or shops.
The cloth face covers will only be used by visitors to Alder Hey in radiology and outpatients as a pilot initially, but if successful they could be rolled out to all parts of the hospital and into the community. They are to be used alongside other measures introduced to Alder Hey to reduce the spread of COVID-19, including:
- Limiting visitors to one person at a time (chosen from two nominated adults) – see here for more
- Washing or gelling your hands when entering Alder Hey
- Keeping 2 metres apart where possible
- Self-isolation if unwell or symptomatic
For more information please read our information leaflet here.
You can be infectious for others before noticing symptoms, wearing a cloth face covering aims to protect people around you.
You can consider wearing a cloth face cover if it is foreseeable that maintaining social distancing (staying 2 metres apart from each other) would become difficult, e.g. office, public transport, corridors… Remember that wearing a cloth face cover does not replace social distancing, thorough hand hygiene or good respiratory etiquette.
Young children (especially below 3 years of age), anyone with breathing or developmental problems or an unconscious person should not wear a face covering.
Surgical masks and respirators are in short supply and should be reserved for healthcare workers or other medical first responders with direct patient encounters.
No, cloth face covers are re-usable items and by that affordable and available. They should be put into the washing machine after each use and washed at the warmest appropriate water settings with any detergent. Thereafter, the face cover needs to dry thoroughly (either through direct sunlight or at high heat).
We believe that the quality of yarn and construction of the weave in our Alder Hey and Alder Hey Children’s Charity branded cloth face covers provide the highest filtration possible in cotton materials. They are totally reusable, biodegradable and responsible. Our Alder Hey and Alder Hey Children’s Charity branded cloth face covers are made of two layers of fabric, just like the ones included in the Public Health England Guidance ‘How to wear and make a cloth face covering’, dated 4 June. The fabric is tightly woven Supima cotton with a 450 thread count. Woven from fine 2/80ne yarn in warp and weft in a plain “Percale” weave. We will continuously develop and enhance our cloth face covers to meet all government recommendations and guidance.
Alder Hey Children's Charity
