Wearing a face mask, in addition to a vigilant handwashing regimen, is key to staying healthy and protecting those around you during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Don’t just change your behavior to avoid being infected,
but instead assume you are infected
and change your behavior to avoid transmission.
Dr. Dacelin St. Martin
You Can Spread the Virus and Not Even Know It
The most common way of spreading the coronavirus is through coughs, sneezes, and spittle while speaking from an infected person – up to 48 hours BEFORE they start feeling sick. You see, therein lies the tricky part of spreading COVID-19; up to 25% of people may never feel symptoms but still carry and transmit the virus.
It’s suggested that we leave the medical-grade masks for the professionals, as there is currently a shortage. However, we can still do our best reduce the spread and #FlattenTheCurve.
Do-it-yourself masks work great in a pinch and can offer protection from infected respiratory particles.
Get Creative with your Masks
Different types of fabric will work when making a DIY mask. Cloth t-shirts are simple to repurpose and convert easily to a mask. Actually, any tightly woven fabric will work: bandannas, scarves, and even (clean) shop towels. Avoid synthetic or polyester fabrics as the virus tends to survive on these surfaces.
What’s key is that your mask is made from a tight-fitting and tightly woven material that will catch as many respiratory droplets as it can. The CDC has some additional information about fitting as well as instructions on how to make a mask yourself here.
Here are a few rules to follow to help prevent spreading COVID-19:
•Inspect the mask for any holes or tears to make sure that it’s intact
•Wash your hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60% alcohol) before putting on the mask
•Cover your nose and mouth with the mask and make sure no gaps exist between it and your face
•Avoid touching the front of your mask while wearing it – this can lead to you infecting yourself
•If you do touch your mask, wash or sanitize your hands immediately
•When your mask gets damp, replace it
•Do not reuse these single-use masks
•Remove your mask from behind rather than touching the front of the mask
•Discard or wash the used mask immediately and clean your hands again
Try and stay home as much as you can, but when you must go out be sure to do what you can to prevent the spread of this virus. With or without symptoms, you can do your part and protect those around you. Be loving, caring and be a hero by protecting those around you. Encourage those that wear mask by thanking them for wearing the covering or mask. They are showing that they care.
Share this message with as many people as you can. Use Facebook and other social media links to get it out to your family and friends. If everyone covers up, we can really slow COVID-19 down and get rid of this monster.
