Wearing a mask is critical to slowing the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, but the public hasn’t always been compliant. In an effort to provide education and understanding, the American Nurses Association (ANA), American Medical Association (AMA), and American Hospital Association (AHA) joined forces to promote a new public health awareness campaign.
“The AHA, AMA, and ANA have launched the #WearAMask campaign as a way to continue urging the American public to wear a face mask, maintain physical distancing, and wash hands,” the organizations stated in a July 31, 2020, press release. “By taking these three simple steps, everyone can contribute to stopping the spread of the virus and keeping themselves, their families, and their communities safe.
YouTube videos and other social media messages have echoed throughout the public health community and providers are leading the effort to better educate the public on the need for adherence.
“Everyone has a critical role to play, and working together we can ease the surge of patients that need to be cared for and to ensure our brave frontline caregivers can win the fight against this virus,” said AHA President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Pollack.
“COVID-19 respects no geographic, demographic, or ideological boundaries, and unfortunately it shows no signs of going away any time soon, but there are simple steps we can all take to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities,” said AMA President Susan R. Bailey, MD.
"These steps are critical and effective. If we all do our part, and trust the evidence and science, we can slow the spread of COVID-19 and help our nation recover,” explained ANA President Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN.
The #WearAMask campaign offers digital media toolkits and other resources for providers and the public.