In the past, people breathed in the fresh air and exhaled all their worries. However, COVID-19 turned a new leaf for the entire world. Now, the entire world is under lockdown, and wearing masks has become a necessity. In fact, it is one of the most highlighted standard operating procedures in the guideline provided by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In this article, I will tell you all about a surgical mask. What it is, why it is necessary, and how you should wear it.
What is Face Mask?
A facemask is essentially protective gear for your face that covers your nose and mouth. By covering your face, it protects you from breathing in harmful elements that present in the air.
The manufacturers use a biodegradable disposable fabric to make the facemasks. The facemask itself is rectangular and usually has two elastic bands on its sides. The function of the bands is to loop behind the ears so the facemask can stay in place.
In many cases, the facemask may have bands on its sides that you can tie, keeping the facemask in place.
The facemask also has a metal strip on the top that you can pinch to your nose’s shape. It provides you with a better fit and more protection.
A good quality mask that contains three plies will not let droplets, splashes, microorganisms, or any particles in. Moreover, the face mask also helps in limiting your hand’s contact with your face.
How does a Face Mask Work?
If you talk about a good quality facemask, it will have three layers that will serve different purposes. The first layer of the mask that is in contact with your mouth helps absorb sweat, moisture, and droplets. All this moisture comes from inside of your body. You might have all that moisture around your mouth and nose or droplets from sneezing.
The second layer of the mask helps in absorbing all the pathogens that might be present in the air. The second layer is the most important layer of the mask because; it is doing all the important work.
The third layer is on the outside and helps in repelling all the harmful fluids and particles that might carry the pathogens. These fluids and particles might be blood, body fluid, sprays, and other particles that might carry the germs.
The only drawback of the mask is that it does not protect your entire face. Even if you are wearing a facemask, it will not cover the sides of your face from the outside world. For this reason, the facemask fails in protecting you from the airborne particles that might come from sneezing or coughing.
When should you wear your Face Mask?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is good to wear your facemask whenever you are out. However, on regular days, you should only wear a mask if you show symptoms of the virus. The major signs of COVID include cough, flu, fever, or other respiratory issues.
However, you can wear a facemask in areas where you feel vulnerable to allergens. For this reason, it is a wise choice to wear a facemask at all times when you are heading out.
Will a Facemask Protect against the Novel Virus?
In current times, most people are wearing a facemask to protect themselves against the novel coronavirus. However, a facemask alone cannot do anything for you. The novel virus’ particles can potentially penetrate through your mask.
Nevertheless, the mask does protect you from the novel virus to a great extent. Doctors claim if all COVID-19 positive patients and COVID-19 negative patients start wearing a surgical mask, the risk of contracting the virus minimizes exponentially.
How to Put on a Facemask
As of today, the entire world has around 14.5 million corona-positive patients. Currently, people all around the world are actively following protective standard operating procedures. However, the virus seems to be spreading exponentially.
The major reason for this happening is the incorrect way of wearing the facemask. According to observation, people wear the facemask, head out. However, while conducting everyday activities, people do not pay attention to where the mask is moving.
When you head out, you can notice that some people wear a mask only over their mouth, not covering their nose. Some only wear the mask over their nose and not cover their mouth. While some people wear them properly over their mouths and noses, they do not pinch the metal plate atop the mask. Pinching the top metal seals the mask perfectly over the nose.
The only correct way to wear your mask is to wear it over your mouth and nose and pinch the metal rod over your nose so that the mask seals over your nose.
How to Remove the Facemask
Removing the facemask is not rocket science. However, you need to keep small things in mind while removing your facemask. When removing your facemask, make sure you do not pull the facemask from the front. The top layer of your mask has plenty of bacteria and infectious germs on it. Nevertheless, it might also have the COVID-19 virus on it. While taking your mask off, make sure that you take it off from the side of your face. Preferably, from the loop around your ear.
Final Feedback
Facemasks have become essential in current times. However, if you cannot find facemasks on the market, you can head over to StoresGo. StoresGo.com offers a variety of face masks that meet U.S.A standard at a very low price. They have a wide range of facemasks for you and your loved ones.