Face masks, to wear, or not to wear? There’s been a great deal of controversy over this question. I’ll admit, if you’d told me a year ago that Americans would be walking around with their noses and mouths covered all the time, I would have doubted your sanity. The fact is, COVID-19 masks have not only become fashion statements, but studies are increasingly showing that wearing a face mask is a key step in beating the pandemic. Both the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization recommend wearing cloth face masks in public.
How Can a Piece of Cloth Really Keep Me Healthy?
As I’m out and about in the community, I hear a lot of people wondering how a simple piece of cloth can keep them from catching COVID-19. After all, these aren’t N95 or surgical masks, able to filter out some of the tiniest particles imaginable. These are pieces of cloth, bought in the store, and often hand-sewn to make the face coverings.
A simple truth is that N95 masks aren’t for everyone. The N95 is actually a type of respirator, and you should be properly trained in N95 mask usage for it to be effective. When properly used, the Mayo Clinic points out, an N95 mask will block 95 percent of the very small particles that you breathe out. A cloth face covering, though, will trap droplets released when you talk, cough, or sneeze. When widely used, these are most likely to reduce the spread of COVID-19. In fact, face mask mandates in South Carolina, a COVID-19 hot spot, resulted in a 15 percent drop in the spread of the virus.
Don’t Studies Say Face Masks Aren’t Effective?
There have been studies claiming surgical and cloth face masks were ineffective in preventing the spread of COVID-19. In April, for example, the Annals of Internal Medicine posted such research. That study, however, was later retracted due to technical errors with the study.
Other studies have shown quite a bit of success in slowing or stopping the spread of COVID-19 through mask use. In Texas, mask mandates have significantly reduced the number of new cases reported in Denton, Tarrant, and Dallas counties. On July 2, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott mandated that people wear masks in counties with more than 20 cases of COVID-19. Collin County, which did not mandate masks, was shown to have the least improvement in new cases and was expecting to experience a growth in hospitalizations.
A Face Mask Helps Keep You Free of COVID-19, but There’s More You Should Do
Wearing a face mask isn’t the whole solution to preventing the spread of COVID-19. Studies are showing that face masks are only a part of the answer. You should also make sure you wash or sanitize your hands before putting on or taking off your mask, as well as frequently during the day when you may have been exposed to COVID-19 through touch. You can even use your essential oils to help with cleaning and sanitization.
Follow these guidelines, too, when wearing a cloth face mask:
- Keep your mask covering your mouth and nose
- Don’t touch your face mask while wearing it
- If you do touch your face mask, wash or sanitize your hands
- Wash your hands right after you remove the mask
- Be sure you regularly wash your mask, either by hand with antibacterial soap and water or in the washing machine with the rest of your laundry
Understanding How Face Masks Help
Now, some might say that the face masks won’t keep you from catching COVID-19 from someone else. This actually bears some truth, because the idea behind wearing them is to keep you from spreading it to others if you have COVID-19. It’s called source control, blocking the release of virus-laden droplets into the air around you.
So, maybe a face mask won’t prevent someone without a mask from infecting you. However, it’s been proven that the coverings help prevent you from spreading COVID-19 if you are infected. If everyone wears their face mask, doesn’t that amount to the same end result?
