Wearing a Face Mask During the COVID-19 Pandemic
With so many people coming out of quarantine during this COVID-19 pandemic, face masks have become vital in the fight to decrease the likelihood of infection. Some companies require you to wear a face mask while inside their establishment. Others leave it up to the individual. Many companies are providing masks for their employees. What are your responsibilities as a customer?
As more and more people return to their normal routines, you may feel even more apprehensive about getting out into the public. Obviously, the best prevention is to stay at home as much as possible. However venturing out is sometimes required, either for work or food.
Some companies have made it a policy that you must wear a face mask to shop in their establishment. Unfortunately, some people see this as an infringement. This policy is meant to protect both the company’s employees and its shoppers. By wearing a face mask, you are helping to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
Most companies have new safety guidelines in place for their employees. Many of these companies provide face masks for every associate. From wearing face masks to social distancing, employees should be able to feel safe at work. If each customer wore a mask, the employees’ risk of illness would decrease tremendously.
Wearing a face mask greatly decreases and slows the transmission of the COVID-19 virus. When you wear a cloth or surgical mask, you are preventing the spread of your germs. This is protecting the people you come in contact with. So if everyone is wearing a mask, very few germs are being expelled out into the environment.
Face masks can easily be made from cloth. Using a thicker fabric or doubling up your material will prevent more germs from spreading. You can simply fold over the fabric and use rubber bands to hold in place around your ears. If you are creative, you can sew elastic into the material for a more secure mask. There are also face masks available all over the internet for purchase.
Health care professionals have access to N95 masks. These face masks form a tight seal around the nose and mouth. They filter air coming in and out to prevent spread of germs for both the person wearing the mask and those in direct contact. Due to the lack of inventory, these masks should be used only by those in the medical field with direct contact to patients.
Before putting on a face mask, wash your hands with soap or use a hand sanitizer. Avoid touching the mask while wearing it. Before going out into a public area, make sure your face mask is flush against your face and is covering both your nose and mouth. When ready to remove the mask, pull it off from the back. Do not touch the front of the mask. Always wash your mask immediately to get rid of any germs.
As this COVID-19 pandemic continues, precautions need to be taken. Wearing a face mask is inconvenient and uncomfortable. However, catching this virus could be even more tragic. When it comes to wearing a mask or not, an ounce of prevention is worth everything. Wearing a face mask is key to minimizing the spread of COVID-19.
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