How To Use Face Masks

Wearing face masks is a great way to not only protect yourself from COVID-19, but also help slow down the spread of this virus. However, if you do not use masks properly, the effect will be very minimal.

How To Wear A Face Mask

- Pick up the mask by its ear loops: Bring the mask up to your face, and without touching the mask itself, secure the elastic loops around each ear. If the mask is a tie-on and does not have loops, secure them around the back of the neck and crown of the head.

- Make sure that the mask covers the mouth and nose: Not only does this prevent a person from spraying saliva particles into the air when they talk, cough or sneeze, but it also gives some protection against nearby saliva particles that could potentially contain the virus

- Pull down the mask so it fits around the chin: By now, the face mask should cover the bottom half of your face. This includes the nose, mouth, cheeks and chin.

- Mold the top of the mask around the bridge of your nose: Most store-bought masks contain a metal tab at the top. Its very flexible and can bends easily when force is applied, but holds its shape quite well when nothing is touching it. Pinch the tab with your fingers so it is secured around the bridge of your nose and feels snug, but comfortable. If there is no tab, try your best to ensure that it will not slip.

- The mask should fit snugly around the sides of the face: Tests have shown that surgical face masks, unlike KN95 masks used by healthcare professionals, cannot filter out small particles in the air. Thus, the effect masks have on the wearer if there is air leakage coming in from the side is almost the same as if it were fitted on skin-tight. However, the masks should still be snug around the face.

Clarification

*** The outside of a mask is usually the colored side. Most surgical masks are light blue, though they come in a variety of colors. Different colors do not signify a difference in quality.

***Even though different colors do not signify a difference in quality, different types of masks will typically come in different colors.

***Try not to reuse surgical masks, and never wear a mask that has been used by another person. Abundant amounts of germs and bacteria will collect on the masks's interior surface even after just a single use, and breathing them in over and over again is very unhealthy.