The stress associated with the global COVID-19 outbreak has triggered many everyday people to wear medical masks. However, if you do not have any respiratory symptoms, such as fever, cough, or runny nose, you do not need to wear a medical mask, WHO noted.
The video, released by the World Health Organization (WHO), provides guidelines on the use of medical masks:
- The first thing to watch is that, when used alone, masks can give you a false feeling of protection and can even be a source of infection when not used correctly.
- Masks should only be used by healthcare workers, caretakers or by people who are sick with symptoms like fever and cough. Why? Because healthcare workers and caretakers are in close contact with ill individuals. The latters should be wearing masks to protect others from small droplets that can cone out when coughing or sneezing.
So for the above, this is how they should wear a mask:
- Before wearing the mask, clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
- Inspect the mask for tears or holes.
- Verify which sides is the top. Find the metal piece.
- Identify the inside if the mask, which is usually the white side.
- Then, fit the mask on your face.
- Pinch the metal strip or stiff edge, so it moulds to the shape of your nose.
- Adjust the mask on your face, covering your mouth and chin, making sure there are no gaps between your face and the mask.
- Do not touch the front of the mask while using it, to avoid contamination. If you accidentally touch it, clean your hands.
To take off the mask:
- Remove the elastics from behind without touching the front, and keep it away from your face.
- Discard the mask immediately in a closed bin and clean your hands.
- It is important not to reuse the mask. Replace it with a new one as soon as it gets damp.
And remember, the best way to protect yourself from the new coronavirus is by frequently cleaning your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
