Using a homemade mask for coronavirus? Avoid making these mistakes
The right way to wear a mask
Fearing the ongoing crisis, the Centres of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Health Ministry of India have urged people to wear a mask whenever they step out. Guidelines have also suggested many to make their own masks at home.
While homemade masks may not be the best form of defence, they can help cut down the risk of infection. Masks are especially helpful when you step out or travel in public places and more so if used by someone who exhibits symptoms associated with the coronavirus.
Wearing a mask is definitely a good measure to protect yourself, however, it's vital to ensure that you wear it the right way.
Here are some of the top mistakes you should avoid
Using a mask which only covers your mouth or using an ill-fitted mask
Whether you are using a surgical grade mask or a cloth mask made at home, ensure that the fabric covers both the nose and the mouth area.
A mask which simply just covers the mouth area can allow germs and contagious viruses to enter in the nasal passageway and spread infection. An ill-fitted mask also doesn't work efficiently in ceasing the transmission of the virus. Hence, it's crucial you ensure the mask fits properly and covers your face.
Taking off the mask too soon
Another mistake people make is wearing it or removing it at improper times. Before stepping out of your home, ensure that your hands are clean and sanitized so that you don't spread any germs onto the mask and then wear it, before exiting the house. The same way, remember to not take it off soon. Come back to a safe place (i.e., the home), sanitize hands and take off the mask using the string on the sides of it. You can also use hot water to wash or disinfect your homemade mask every time you take it off.
Touching the mask portion
While one should always remove the mask using the strings on the sides or the back of a mask, the same way, it's important to not touch the exterior of a mask. The front of the mask or the outside portion (especially homemade masks) can be an easy space for contamination and can transmit germs onto other surfaces.
Removing the mask to talk
Talking through the mask may seem difficult, but that doesn't mean you remove the mask to talk to the ones around you. Remember, coronavirus spreads through respiratory droplets. Virus can spread if you are talking to a person who is sick (and remember the person can also be asymptomatic but can still transmit germs), thereby negating the benefits of wearing a mask in the first place.
Remember, wearing a face mask can lower the spread of infection and it works best if you combine this habit with other safety measures like hand washing, sanitizing and social distancing.
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Fearing the ongoing crisis, the Centres of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Health Ministry of India have urged people to wear a mask whenever they step out. Guidelines have also suggested many to make their own masks at home.
While homemade masks may not be the best form of defence, they can help cut down the risk of infection. Masks are especially helpful when you step out or travel in public places and more so if used by someone who exhibits symptoms associated with the coronavirus.
Wearing a mask is definitely a good measure to protect yourself, however, it's vital to ensure that you wear it the right way.
Here are some of the top mistakes you should avoid
Using a mask which only covers your mouth or using an ill-fitted mask
Whether you are using a surgical grade mask or a cloth mask made at home, ensure that the fabric covers both the nose and the mouth area.
A mask which simply just covers the mouth area can allow germs and contagious viruses to enter in the nasal passageway and spread infection. An ill-fitted mask also doesn't work efficiently in ceasing the transmission of the virus. Hence, it's crucial you ensure the mask fits properly and covers your face.
Taking off the mask too soon
Another mistake people make is wearing it or removing it at improper times. Before stepping out of your home, ensure that your hands are clean and sanitized so that you don't spread any germs onto the mask and then wear it, before exiting the house. The same way, remember to not take it off soon. Come back to a safe place (i.e., the home), sanitize hands and take off the mask using the string on the sides of it. You can also use hot water to wash or disinfect your homemade mask every time you take it off.
Touching the mask portion
While one should always remove the mask using the strings on the sides or the back of a mask, the same way, it's important to not touch the exterior of a mask. The front of the mask or the outside portion (especially homemade masks) can be an easy space for contamination and can transmit germs onto other surfaces.
Removing the mask to talk
Talking through the mask may seem difficult, but that doesn't mean you remove the mask to talk to the ones around you. Remember, coronavirus spreads through respiratory droplets. Virus can spread if you are talking to a person who is sick (and remember the person can also be asymptomatic but can still transmit germs), thereby negating the benefits of wearing a mask in the first place.
Remember, wearing a face mask can lower the spread of infection and it works best if you combine this habit with other safety measures like hand washing, sanitizing and social distancing.
T