A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests the coronavirus that causes the disease known as COVID-19 survives in the air for likely up to three hours, but it exponentially decreases in its strength during this period. The virus is not spread through the air; it is spread through contact with respiratory droplets from being in close contact with an infected person. In order for a mask to completely protect a person from exposure to respiratory droplets, it would need to be completely secure around a person’s face. Personal protective equipment, including N-95 masks, face shields and more elaborate respirators, helps healthcare workers with potential heavy exposure to the virus and the disease to avoid infection.
Health officials thought it was best to reserve that equipment for healthcare workers and urged the general public to simply practice social distancing and hand washing to avoid exposure to the droplets.
However, in response to data indicating that people can be infected with COVID-19 and not show symptoms, the Centers for Disease Control is now recommending people wear a cloth mask or face covering in public settings, including grocery stores.
The goal is to wear face coverings to prevent people who are infected and don’t know it from spreading it unknowingly. A wide range of medical experts have also suggested any filter preventing exposure to droplets can be of some aid to those who wear masks.
According to the CDC website, “Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.” The cloth coverings being recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. If you decide to wear a mask, the World Health Organization recommends taking the following steps：
1. Before putting on a mask, clean hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
2. Cover your mouth and nose with the mask and make sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask.
3. Avoid touching the mask while using it; if you do, clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
4. Replace the mask with a new one as soon as it is damp and do not re-use single-use masks.
5. To remove a single-use mask: remove it from behind (do not touch the front of mask); discard it immediately in a closed bin. Clean your hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizer or soap and water. If it is a cloth mask, remove it, drop it in the washing machine and wash your hands using alcohol-based hand sanitizer or soap and water.
From Roy Parry’s “Why wear a mask and how to wear it properly to help fight COVID-19”
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