The Do’s and Don'ts of Wearing a Mask

Essentials, Masks -

The Do’s and Don'ts of Wearing a Mask

Wearing a mask has become a mandatory in our society as a preventative measure against the spread of COVID-19, which primarily passes from person to person through respiratory droplets and contaminated surfaces. Face masks are a barrier, helping to prevent the spread of this deadly pandemic that has claimed over a quarter of a million lives globally so far. 

This blog post will give you a brief summary on the Do's and Don't for wearing a mask to protect yourself and those around you. It is important, however, to note that a face mask is not the only preventative measure we should be taking, it should be practiced in parallel with other COVID-19 measures like good hand hygiene and physical or social distancing.

Let’s start by doing a quick breakdown of the masks you can use to keep yourself and others safe.

Surgical N95 Mask

Surgical or Medical Mask

Homemade or Sewn Mask

Face Covering

Usually worn by professional healthcare providers

These are usually manufactured and sold by medical supply retailers.

Made from cloth, machine washable. Usually includes a removable or washable filter. 

Any tightly-woven fabric you can use to cover your nose and mouth; accessories like scarves, ski masks, or cotton t-shirts.

 

 

 

Here are a few guidelines to make sure you wear your mask correctly and also some pointers on what not to do.

Do’s

Dont’s

Wash your hands before handling any mask to eliminate the risk of transferring bacteria.

Touch the mask itself with your bare hands.

Pick up your mask by its ear loops and bring them up to your ears, securing them as tightly as possible.

Re-use surgical masks if you have been exposed to an infected person or if there is visible dirt / damage.  

Make sure that the mask covers both your nose and your mouth.

Don’t share masks. If you don’t have a mask, rather improvise with a scarf or something similar and make a face-covering.

Adjust the mask to ensure your chin is also covered. This is a sure-fire way of preventing any particles in the air enters your mouth and nasal area.

Go in a public place without a mask. If caught by the authorities, you will be fined as you could be putting others at risk.

Secure the mask on the bridge of your nose too. Some masks have a metal tab where the bridge of your nose sits. If you feel a metal tab on your chin, you'll know your mask is upside down.

 

For surgical masks, make sure the blue lining is on the outside.

 

 

Most importantly, you want to make sure your mask fits your face comfortably and has as few gaps as possible for droplets to filter through, to keep yourself as safe as possible. All our masks on TravelSOOQ are created by expert seamstresses and designers, and all have a minimum of 3 layers. They are fashioned to fit tightly and comfortably across the face with either ties or elastic ribbon which can also be easily adjusted.

 

 
BETSY FARRELL
CREDIT: GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

 

Shop our selection of masks and scarves: https://travelsooq.co.za/collections/essentials-masks-sanitisers


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