Cover your nose.
Perhaps the biggest mistake that many people are making with face masks, other than not wearing them in public, is pulling the face covers down so that the nose is exposed.
Amid the ongoing debate about when and where people should wear masks, and the mixed messages behind it, what may have been lost in the din is the correct way to put on a mask to help prevent the spread of COVID. -19 first.
CDC guidelines require the use of a mask that covers both the nose and your mouth, with the mask secured under your chin. It should fit your face perfectly. There should be no large openings or gaps around the nose, mouth, and sides of the face.
But as summer temperatures have burned the U.S., and, let’s be honest, there has been some weariness of social estrangement as the pandemic continues, health officials have had to remind people that removing the mask under the nose or chin makes the mask basically useless. .
This is because you can still inhale the virus through your nose or exhale viral particles and pass them on to others through your nose, even if you don’t feel sick. In fact, a recent study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, infects cells in the nose much more easily than cells in the throat or lungs. . Once the virus has established itself in the nose, it can be aspirated into the lungs and cause more serious problems.
Additionally, the study suggests that people are likely releasing a higher concentration of the COVID-19 virus by breathing through the nose, rather than exhaling through the mouth.
“If the nose is the dominant starting site from which lung infections are planted, then the widespread use of masks to protect the nostrils, as well as any therapeutic strategies that reduce the virus in the nose, such as nasal irrigation or antiviral nasal sprays It could be beneficial, “said study co-author Dr. Richard Boucher in a statement.
Wearing masks “really is a dos-fer,” he explained more to the News & Observer. “You are protecting yourself and you are protecting someone else from transmitting something in an asymptomatic phase.”
But you have to use the mask correctly.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently assumed sloppy mask behavior while warning protesters and police to wear the liners properly last month.
“This is a mask,” he said, pulling one to cover his nose, mouth, and chin.
Then he lowered it below his chin. “This is a protective chin,” he said, noting that wearing a mask in this way “does nothing.”
“No one told you to wear a chin strap. Wear a mask, ”he said.
More than 4 million Americans have tested positive for COVID-19, and 143,967 have died as of Friday morning. Dr. Anthony Fauci says, “I certainly don’t think we are near the end of this” in a new interview with MarketWatch. President Donald Trump has also sometimes cast a bleaker tone on the pandemic that has infected more than 15.3 million worldwide, and he even started asking Americans to wear masks this week.
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“No one told you to wear a chin strap. Wear a mask. ”
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But people can make a big impact in the battle against this global crisis by taking three simple steps: wash their hands regularly, stay away from other people, and wear masks. That’s according to a study from the Netherlands that was released on Tuesday. “A major epidemic can be prevented if the effectiveness of these measures exceeds 50%,” the researchers wrote. In other words, “SARS-CoV-2 will not cause a major outbreak in a country where 90% of the population adopts handwashing and social distancing that are 25% effective (ie, reduce susceptibility and contact rate in 25%, respectively). “
In fact, at least 230,000 coronavirus cases may have been prevented due to government orders requiring facial masks in 15 states and the District of Columbia between April and mid-May, according to a recent study by two professors at the University of Iowa. Another Study suggests that nearly 45,000 deaths from coronavirus in the United States could be prevented in November if 95% of the population wore masks.
Read more:As coronavirus cases increase, California is the last state requiring face masks, why other states may want to follow suit.
But gender, political affiliation, race, income, and geography seem to play a role when it comes to whether people choose to wear a mask or not.
There are also many myths and misconceptions surrounding masks, such as that people only need to wear one if they show symptoms or that wearing a mask will lower their oxygen level. Neither of these is true.
Read more:Here are the 5 biggest mask myths
In addition to making sure your mask covers your nose and mouth, make sure it consists of two or three layers, which is best to prevent viral drops from spreading through your nose and mouth. An observational study published in the medical journal Thorax on Thursday found that a two-layer face covering reduced the number of drops spread by coughing and sneezing better than a single layer of fabric. A three-layer surgical mask was the most effective. Still, even a cape is better than nothing.
Related:After watching the video of the surgeon on Twitter about facial masks, the doctor sent him an investigation into the best materials to use
And while staying alert about washing your hands, don’t forget to wash your reusable face masks every day. You should also keep them in a paper bag or zip-lock plastic bag to prevent contamination, rather than throwing them in your dresser or car. Here is the best way to clean your mask.
Read more about MarketWatch’s coronavirus coverage here.
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