Do you put a mask in your pocket or purse? Once you know what this could end up in, it won’t anymore

The main mistakes

Improper use of the mask increases the risk of infection with the dangerous coronavirus that spreads quickly and poses a threat to others.

One of the mistakes we make is that we do not wash or disinfect our hands before putting on and taking off the mask. You have probably had to remove your mask more than once in a hurry right after leaving the store and not think that you need to wash or disinfect your hands before performing this operation.

Aušra Bartulienė, an epidemiologist at the Center for Communicable Diseases and AIDS (ULAC), says that this is just one of the many mistakes made by the population.

“People wear disposable masks several times, even for a few days. Wet masks are not replaced by clean, dry masks. They were put on incorrectly. The masks should cover the nose, mouth and chin,” says the doctor.

In addition to these errors, the epidemiologist identifies another fundamental error that we rarely think about: we keep the masks in the wrong place. According to her, these protective devices should be placed in a bag so that they do not come into contact with other objects and surfaces.

“People keep masks in their pockets, bags and cars. In addition, they touch them with their hands, so it can contaminate your face and mask,” says A. Bartulienė.

According to doctors, when wearing a medical mask, you should not wear a damaged or wet mask, which does not cover the nose and does not stick to the face. Do not touch the front of the mask, take off the mask when talking to other people or doing other work. Also, do not leave a used mask where other people can access it or reuse the same mask.

And when using a non-medical (cloth) mask, doctors emphasize that you cannot wear a mask that looks damaged, is dirty or wet, does not stick to the face, does not cover the nose, and causes difficulty. to breathe. Do not remove your mask if other people are nearby (1 meter away). Also, do not share your mask with other people.

What masks to choose?

Doctors emphasize that masks reduce the release of droplets into the airways of infected people who do not yet have symptoms or who are asymptomatic carriers of the infection.

The epidemiologist says that all masks, both medical and artificial, help to reduce the spread of the virus in the environment and therefore reduce the chances of infecting other people. However, he notes that medical and non-medical masks differ in filtration efficiency.

“Medical masks are divided into type I, II and III medical masks according to their filtration efficiency. A type I medical mask retains about 95 percent. particles, type II and III, around 98% ”, explains A. Bartulienė.

However, he emphasizes that these masks are disposable and therefore cannot be used multiple times.

Here, the filtration efficiency of non-medical masks is lower. The epidemiologist says they are not certified as medical masks and act as a physical barrier to reduce the spread of the infection through a drip route.

According to A. Bartulienė, these masks retain about 50 percent. particles, and their filtration efficiency depends on the number of layers of the mask.

“The more layers, the denser the material the masks are made of, the more effectively the particles are trapped. The advantage of these masks is that they can be used several times and they fit well to the face ”, says the specialist.

Disposable masks should be thrown away after use, but these masks, according to epidemiologist A. Bartulienė, can be decontaminated by washing them with warm soapy water or spraying them with disinfectant liquid.

According to doctors, the risk of transmitting the infection remains when the mask is improperly removed, when contaminated masks are mishandled, and due to the increased tendency of people to touch their face while wearing the mask.