Face Masks: The Dos and Don’ts

Face Masks are very important when it comes to keeping COVID-19 from spreading. However, there are plenty of Dos and plenty of Don’ts when it comes to wearing a face mask.

Here are some Dos:

Do wear your mask correctly. Masks should be snug, but not too snug to the point where they cause discomfort to you. You should try your best to avoid any kind of loose openings, your mask needs to be just snug enough so that it doesn’t have any openings bulging open. Make sure that the mask goes over the nose and under the chin, both your mouth and nostrils need to be covered up. Many opt to cover their mouths and ignore their nose, which defeats the purpose of wearing a mask and places you and others at-risk. If you have facial hair or something else that makes it hard to wear normal-sized masks, there are larger alternatives available that will be able to accomodate from nose to chin.

Do keep your mask clean. Face masks should be washed regularly, how often you should wash it depends on how often you use it. You should also store masks in a place where they won’t touch anything that might spread germs onto it.

Do wear your mask indoors, especially in places where there are a lot of people. Places like grocery stores, gathering events, and schools are all places where wearing a mask is especially important.

Do wear your mask outdoors when necessary. Much like indoors, you should wear your mask at big gatherings outdoors and places where a lot of people would be.

Here are some Don’ts when wearing a face mask:

Don’t touch your mask. You should take extra care to avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes while wearing a mask. You should also avoid touching those when putting on or removing the mask, try to only use the elastic bands or ties when putting them on and taking them off. You should also wash your hands both before and after you handle your mask. Most importantly, you should not touch the face of your mask, when you do that, you immediately contaminate your hands, if you touch your eyes or eat something afterward, you run the risk of infecting yourself.

Don’t wear your mask inside out or upside down. Doing that reduces the effectiveness of the mask, the inside of the mask has a much thinner layer than the outside, so wearing it inside out is not a good alternative.

Don’t adjust your mask in public. Wearing masks takes some getting used to, this is understandable. However, wearing a mask shouldn’t cause extreme discomfort, that’s why you need to make sure you wear your mask correctly so that it fits comfortably before you go out in public. You should never wear your mask so that it’s under your nose or above your chin, if you need to adjust it when you’re eating, taking a phone call, or anything else that makes you have to lower your mask, don’t simply slide it down, take it off and put it in a safe bag or container.

Don’t stop social distancing. While face masks help greatly to prevent the spread of COVID-19, social distancing is still important in reducing spread. Washing your hands and keeping your distance between people will help a great deal with preventing spread.

Overall, wearing a face mask is very important in helping prevent potential COVID-19 spread. However, the masks can only truly help if you know how to use them, you need to follow the dos and don’ts of wearing a face mask for them to be the most effective.