Face masks: Your protective armour
As the world slowly switches to a more cautious way of living, many governments are advising residents to maintain preventative measures to protect themselves from the virus. These include the wearing of facemasks in public, maintaining social distancing, maintaining proper hand and cough/sneeze hygiene, staying at home when unwell, and getting tested if showing respiratory symptoms or a fever.
After months of staying confined at home, it is now becoming frustrating and also impractical to not step out for daily chores. Keeping this in mind, wearing face masks has been made compulsory in every region and those who don’t adhere to it are being fined by the police.
WHY UNIVERSAL MASKING?
Countries who fought the virus and effectively ‘flattened the curve’ had one thing in common they all advised their residents to wear facemasks in public places and to keep social and physical distance from anyone outside of their immediate family. These measures have shown to be effective in reducing the transmission of the virus.
The CDC recommends that everyone, sick or healthy, wear a cloth face mask in places where it can be hard to stay 6 feet away from others, like grocery stores. That’s because studies show that people can spread the virus even if they don’t have symptoms (asymptomatic) or before they have symptoms (presymptomatic). In fact, you might be the most contagious just before symptoms begin.
CHOOSING SUITABLE MASKS For health care workers
N95 respirators and surgical masks should be reserved for health care workers and first responders. Because there aren’t enough of these masks for everyone, it’s important that they go to the doctors, nurses, and other medical staff who need them most. N95 respirator masks fit tightly around your face. They filter out 95 per cent or more of the smallest particles in the air. Surgical masks are often blue with white borders. They fit loosely across your nose and mouth. These masks shield against the large droplets that come from a sick person’s cough or sneeze, but they’re too loose to protect against all germs. They can’t block the tiniest particles that may carry the virus.
For non-health care workers
Cloth masks are best for people who don’t work in health care. These masks, specifically those with several layers of cotton cloth, can block droplet and airborne transmission of the virus. A mask made of three layers of fabric, muslin, flannel, and muslin, reduces surface contamination by as much as 99 per cent, total airborne pathogens by 99 per cent, and bacteria by 88 to 99 per cent. Homemade masks could capture large droplets of the virus. Homemade masks reduce disease spread by catching the wearer’s virus particles, while inhaled air is breathed in from around the exposed sides of the mask.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when making your own or looking for handmade masks:
You can sew the fabric, tie it around your face, or fold it around some hair ties for ear loops Use at least two layers of material
You might add a pocket for a filter. Be sure to take it out before you wash the mask
Add a copper or wire ribbon on the nose of the mask to help it fit better