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Constable: Close shave could keep virus from spreading

Christian clerics, Hasidic Jews, devout Muslims, the Amish, Sikhs, hipster men and playoff-bound hockey players all fit under the same umbrella in this warning issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you wear a soul patch under your bottom lip, or a walrus 'stache above your upper lip, you're OK. If you've fashioned that facial hair into a goatee, you might have issues. But if you are sporting mutton chops, a neatly trimmed Van Dyke or a full-on lumberjack beard, our government has one more thing for you to worry about.

Facial hair can get in the way of a tight seal between skin and respirators worn by medical workers, potentially making the respirators ineffective at keeping viruses out, according to information provided by the CDC. The accompanying downloadable chart, which was produced in 2017 before the current coronavirus emerged, features 36 facial hair styles (who knew?) and lets you know which will work with a respirator. Most bearded people who don't work in medical professions needn't worry - because they shouldn't have on masks or respirators anyway.

The U.S. surgeon general discourages most of the public from buying, hoarding or wearing face masks, as they are meant for sick people and medical professionals. Likewise, many potential romantic partners discourage growing anything on your face called a hulihee, ducktail, French fork, bandholz, lampshade, toothbrush or chin curtain, to use the CDC's vocabulary.

Considering how good facial hair is at capturing doughnut crumbs, chicken noodle soup and sneezes, you might think a furry bush covering your face would stop the coronavirus in its tracks. But the CDC bursts that bubble.

"While human hair appears to be very thin to the naked eye, hair is much larger in size than the particles inhaled. Facial hair is just not dense enough and the individual hairs are too large to capture particles like an air filter does; nor will a beard trap gases and vapors like the carbon bed in a respirator cartridge," reads a CDC blog produced by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. "Therefore, the vast majority of particles, gases, and vapors follow the air stream right through the facial hair and into the respiratory tract of the wearer."

An article in a recent edition of Nursing Times tells the story of a hospital in the United Kingdom that, in anticipation of the COVID-19 virus arriving at some point, is asking employees to shave their beards.

"I recognise for some this is a big ask, that beards are so popular at present," an administrator said in an email to staff members. "However, I do believe this is the right thing to do."

A Chinese video shows female medical workers taking the extra step of getting their heads shaved in an attempt to make safety equipment fit better.

The Northwest suburbs have treated patients with COVID-19 at Amita Health St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates and at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights. But my investigative reporting skills fell short of finding a nurse, doctor or other medical professional in those facilities who had to shave off a beloved beard because of the virus. Some critics says China apparently forced nurses to shave their heads to ensure protective headgear fits well. Kendra McMillan, senior policy advisor for nursing practice and work environment with the American Nurses Association says that organization "encourages U.S. health care workers to follow the CDC guidelines for protective gear and proper fit testing."

Fears of the virus have spurred conversations about postponing the Olympics in Japan; canceled concerts by Mariah Carey, Avril Lavigne and Green Day, the International Housewares Association show in Chicago, business meetings for Facebook, Google and other companies; forced many college kids studying abroad to come home; changed the way churches conduct rituals; canceled basketball games for Chicago State University; fueled speculation on sports radio that some NCAA basketball tournament games will be played in empty arenas; postponed the launch of the new James Bond movie; and made fist bumps more popular than handshakes.

But could anything change the face of America as much as getting rid of beards?

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