To get protection against pandemic COVID-19, wearing the masks along with other preventive measures like frequent hand washing and social distancing has become a part of regular life for people.
Even though wearing a mask is the dire need of the hour, All Question Answered Below.
When Should You Avoid Wearing a Face Mask while going out from home, as a Defense against COVID-19?
There is no such end date when it can be said you can stop wearing a mask, considering the number of cases in the world that are still increasing at a faster pace. It is predicted that the mask-wearing will continue at the minimum of the whole winter season or even longer than that.
The timeline of mask-wearing cannot be predicted as it depends upon the availability of the vaccine for COVID-19. An efficient vaccine for COVID-19 is required to be developed before we stop wearing masks.
What is the significance of wearing the masks during the COVID-19 scenario?
The basic role of wearing masks is to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 via minor respiratory droplets that may easily enter through the nose and mouth to infect others in the surroundings. The protection from outside the world to your nasal and oral cavities is provided with the help of the mask.
However, by wearing the mask in a floppy way that is unable to cover your nose and mouth efficiently, the risk of catching the virus gets increased.
How should your face mask be worn?
Wearing masks is an important habit that must be practiced by everyone to stay at a bay from the risk of transmission. While wearing a mask, the following steps must be paid attention to:
- Before touching the face mask, ensure that you wash your hands with soap and water or can sanitize your hands.
- Take out the mask from the dispenser and ensure they don’t have any holes
- Look for the top and the front of the mask, so that you can wear it efficiently
- The face mask with ear loops are required to behold by the ear loops and put it around your ears
- The face masks with ties require your mask to be brought towards your nose and ties are required to be placed over the head
- Now pull the bottom of the mask over the mouth and chin
How you must remove your face mask?
It must be ensured that you throw the disposable masks after a single-use only. Furthermore, you must remove and replace the masks when they get moist. However, you must follow certain steps to remove the mask:
- Before touching the mask, clean your hands with soap and water. Make sure that you don’t touch the front of the mask since the front part is mostly contaminated. Only touch ear loops or ties.
- If you are wearing a face mask with ear loops, hold both loops and then lift and remove the mask in a gentle way.
- If you are wearing a face mask with ties, firstly untie the top bow, then pull the mask away from you as the ties get loosened
- If you are wearing a face mask with bands, firstly, lift the bottom strap over the head, now pull the top strap over the head
- Now the last step is to throw the mask in the trash and then clean your hands with water and soap or with sanitizer
What kind of mask is recommended as the best to prevent COVID-19 transmission?
It is not so that all the masks are created equally, the best one depends on some things like where you are from, who you are and what work you do.
N95 respirators that are available without valves give the best protection against COVID-19 transmission for both the wearers and the ones around. However, these must be used by health care workers and first- responders in some situations like those who are working in close contact with patients of Coronavirus, as N95 respirators are designed to filter out aerosols, not only droplets.
In some situations, the basic aim of the mask is to wear a mask to eliminate the risk of droplet transmission and many of the washable cloth masks are actually good in doing that. If worn efficiently, even a cloth mask is sufficient as per the needs of many people.
There are many types of masks available in the market; you must follow the guidelines of how to wear these in an effective manner.
Is wearing masks mandatory in cars?
This matter has been in confusion about wearing the masks in cars since the government-mandated to wear a face mask in public to curb- the spread of COVID-19. The guidelines don’t mention properly that if wearing masks inside the cars are mandatory, even if only one person is present in the car at the moment. Some of the states are posing fines to even a single person present in the car.
Many of the doctors don’t advocate wearing the masks in cars while being alone. However, the central government has stated that it is not at all mandatory to wear masks in the car while driving alone. A face mask is compulsory to wear while traveling with other passengers in the car.
Which countries have mandated wearing face masks?
Under the influence of COVID-19, more than 50 countries have mandated people to cover their faces by wearing masks before leaving their homes.
Like, UAE announced at earlier times that masks must be worn immediately after leaving home. Lebanon even imposed fines for not wearing the masks in public up to 50,000 Lebanese pounds.
In Italy, from 6 pm to 6 am, masks were mandated in public areas wherever groups formed.
On the other hand, the government of the United Kingdom and Singapore urged people not to wear masks to assure enough supplies for PPE and healthcare workers.
Can mask-wearing stop spreading a cold?
Mask wearing not only protects the wearer from contracting viruses but is protects others from you as well. If you cough or sneeze inside the mask, being a carrier, the droplets are less likely to pass to others nearby.
This is the same for common cold also like COVID-19, if you are suffering from a common cold and don’t want to pass it to others, consider wearing a mask. It is recommended since the symptoms of cold are quite similar to COVID-19.
Read more about when and how to use masks.
