Joe Biden revealed that his campaign staff and other visitors wear masks and gloves around him to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
Most Biden campaign staff are working from home, but, when people meet with him in person, Biden said on a press call Friday, “We’re following CDC guidelines. People are coming in with masks on, wearing gloves.”
“I’m having constant telephone conferences,” the former vice president and likely Democratic presidential nominee said, adding that he is on the phone “probably an average seven hours a day.”
At 77, Biden is part of the age group that is considered at a higher risk of death should he contract the coronavirus. Medical records released for the former vice president reveal that he receives treatment for an irregular heartbeat and high cholesterol. The records also said that he deals with acid reflux and seasonal allergies. Decades ago, Biden suffered two life-threatening brain aneurysms.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend the general public wear face masks or respirators. “Instead, CDC recommends following everyday preventive actions, such as washing your hands, covering your cough, and staying home when you are sick,” the agency said.
Most loose-fitting masks “do not effectively filter small particles from the air and do not prevent leakage around the edge of the mask when the user inhales,” the CDC said, adding that the special N95 filtering respirator design can filter out 95% of very small bacterial and viral particles.
Hospitals and medical professionals are facing a shortage of N95 masks, and the CDC has recommended that medical professionals substitute bandannas or scarves as a last resort.
Earlier in the call, Biden called on President Trump to invoke the Defense Production Act but could not answer which industries or businesses he would put to work if he was in the same position.
In a tweet on Thursday, Biden called for the use of the Defense Production Act to create more medical equipment such as face masks.
Doctors and nurses are making their own makeshift face masks today as they risk their lives to care for others. What other finding do you need to see to convince you to use every power you have to expand our supply of essential equipment, Mr. President?
— Joe Biden (Text Join to 30330) (@JoeBiden) March 19, 2020
