Wearing Face Masks
INSCMagazine: Get Social!

Personnel in hospitals have worn masks to prevent the spread of illnesses and diseases even before the Coronavirus’ onset. Wearing a facemask is crucial to stop the spread of COVID and other infections and reduce an individual’s chances of catching airborne infectious germs. When a person opens their mouth when coughing or talking, germs are released in the air that can infect people around them. Wearing a facemask is a COVID control strategy to stop cross-contamination. The facemask must be worn correctly and firmly against the face, and utilizing a face mask lanyard from Custom Lanyard is a helpful accessory for this.

What is the proper way to wear a facemask?

    • Wash your hands with a combination of soap and water before even touching the facemask.
    • Get the mask from the dispenser or storage box and make sure that it doesn’t have any holes, tears or damages.
    • Determine which is the top side and which is the front side of the mask so you can wear the mask correctly.
    • For face masks with ear loops, hold it by the loops and place each loop around each ear.
    • If your facemask utilizes ties, bring the mask against your nose and mouth and pull the ties over your head and secure everything.
    • For facemasks that have bands, grip the mask against your nose and put the upper straps over your head as well as the bottom strap, so it is against the nape of your neck.
    • For all types of masks, make sure that the mask covers your mouth and chin.

People who should wear a mask

    • The general public

Experts recommend that people who are two years and older should wear a mask in public areas and when interacting with strangers, mainly when social distancing protocols cannot be observed.

Coronavirus can be spread by people who do not show symptoms and do not know that they have an infection. Thus, all people must wear masks in public areas and observe social distancing. Maintain a 6 feet distance from other people.

Although wearing masks is strongly recommended to minimize the spread of COVID 19, experts recognize that there are cases when wearing a mask may not be possible. In these cases, it is crucial to adopt alternatives.

    • People who think they are infected

If you are already suffering the symptoms of COVID 19 or think you might have been affected, do not go to public areas. Stay at home and get medical care at once. As much as possible, quarantine and stay in an isolated room away from people and animals in your home. If you need to interact with people or pets, make sure that you are wearing a mask.

Wearing a facemask, especially one that utilizes a face mask lanyard, helps prevent sick people from spreading the virus. It also minimizes the chances of respiratory droplets from reaching other people.

    • Caregivers 

Individuals, including medical personnel caring for sick people who are sick with COVID, should also wear a mask. However, the protective effect or how well the mask can shield healthy people from contracting viruses are still unknown. 

To stop the chances of getting sick, caregivers should practice routine preventive actions such as avoiding close contact as much as possible, cleaning their hands often, and avoid touching critical areas such as the eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. It is crucial to clean and disinfect surfaces frequently.

Facemasks shouldn’t be worn in the following situations

    • Hearing-impaired

People who are deaf or who have difficulty hearing or those who care for these people and interact with them may be unable to wear facemask since they will be relying on lipreading to communicate. In this case, an alternative would be a clear mask. If no clear mask is available, consider whether you can write down messages or decrease background sounds to make communication possible. 

    • Young children

Young children, preschoolers or early elementary students may not have the ability to wear a mask correctly, particularly if they have to wear it for long. Wearing a mask is especially important when you cannot observe the 6 feet social distancing measures. 

Typical instances of this are during carpool and when standing in line during class. Ensure that the mask size is the correct fit. Give children constant reminders and instructions on the importance of correctly wearing masks. Applying these measures can help young children to adhere to facemask wearing protocols. 

    • Wet areas

People should never wear masks when engaging in activities that may cause the mask to become wet such as swimming. A wet mask makes it doubly challenging to breathe. Instead, when swimming, maintain physical distance from others in the water. 

Conclusion

Wearing a face mask is part of the regulation of most establishments these days. It is a risk to go out in public without a mask. It is crucial to know how to wear a mask properly. Wearing a mask and following other health measures can keep you safe from the fatal COVID 19 infection.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.