Mask up!
By Kerri
Those in the anti mask camp claim wearing a mask gives you a false sense of security as you believe you are safe. The usual patriarchal nonsense of believing the public are too stupid to understand the facts so those of greater intellect have to do the thinking for them that usually results in the public scoffing at the advice given.
The counter argument is if you leave your home and see everyone is wearing a mask you are immediately reminded that there is a pandemic and you had better wear your mask.
As a retired teacher I believe anyone can learn anything if it is explained clearly enough (possibly with the exception of Donald Trump and his Trumpanzees) and that people do want to understand rather than just blindly obey laws.
While the anti-maskers rail, here are some practical tips and videos for people who want to wear a mask safely.
How to use and clean/dry your face mask
The mask has a big snout and sticks out but this allows you to breathe without having fabric glued to your face.
Slip the elastic over your ears.
Make sure the mask fits close around your chin and cheeks and pinch the nose wire across the bridge of your nose to keep a tight fit under your eyes.
You can wear your glasses over the top of the mask.
There should be NO air gaps but the middle front of the mask should sit away from your face making an air pocket for easy breathing.
While you are out and about, If you need to take your mask off for any reason, only touch the elastic on one ear and leave the mask hanging on the other ear.
If you accidentally touch the front of the mask be sure to sanitise your hands ASAP. The mask will catch aerosols (droplets) before they reach your nose so it acts as a filter trapping virus on the front fabric but allowing air through to your nose.
When you get home
You should wash your mask after every day to be safe.
Take off your mask by only touching the elastic ear straps.
Drop the mask directly into a container.
Fill the container with hot water and some detergent.
Hand soap will do.
Swish the mask around in the water either:
- while wearing gloves; or
- using your hands and washing the mask for two verses of Happy Birthday.
This will clean both mask and hands at the same time.
Be gentle with it.
No scrubbing or wringing.
You want it to last.
Rinse the mask thoroughly to remove detergent odour (remember it is going back on your face at some stage so you don’t want an annoying smell).
Leave the mask somewhere warm to dry overnight.
If you have to re-use your mask on the same day place it in a container, as if to wash it, making sure the elastic is sticking up so you can put the mask back on without touching the front of the mask.
Remember the container you just used is now contaminated so leave it, untouched, until you wash your mask at the end of the day.
Or carefully place your mask outside front upwards in a sunny spot like on a window ledge to dry, but more importantly, to expose any potential virus to the sun’s UV rays.
I hope this helps keep your mask clean, virus free and re-usable.Take care, stay safe, keep your distance and wash your hands.
Face mask manufacture:
How to wear a disposable mask safely:
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6 comments
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Andrew J. Smith -
Rupert -
Carol Taylor -
Jack Cade -
Kerri -
Kerri
Return to home pageUseful advice for Australians (plus British and Americans) but begs the question as to why most other nations were well aware of the need to mask up, from months ago……
Masks are the way to go. Cronavirus has killed more than people than ebola in Australia ever did and is so much more dangerous to non face wearing fools than they thinb. The sooner masks are made manditory in Sydney the better.
Andrew, excellent point. My guess is the government thought it could get away with social distancing only. But of course any attempt to reopen the economy should have been accompanied by mandatory mask wearing. The WHO originally didn’t recommend masks, purely guesswork that people would touch their faces more. However, by June they changed their minds to recommend the wearing of masks where it was not possible to socially distance oneself. This advice was ignored by Morrison and Australia’s CMO. Morrison ‘lead by example’..went to the footy, didn’t wear a mask and didn’t bother about social distancing.
If you were an American person ‘of colour’ ( and what a mealy-mouthed appellation that is!), would you walk into a shop in Minnesota or anywhere else wearing a mask?
Andrew J Smith.
Many of the Asian countries were aware of transmissible disease long ago having had a close scrape with SARS, MERS or Swineflu.
Carole Taylor,
I believe that the WHO had two concerns with recommending masks.
1/ The worldwide shortage of masks and greater need of medical personnel and
2/ The concern that a robust response would lead to the Chicken Little response.
And let’s not forget? Back then no-one had any idea how dangerous and contagious this virus is.
There are still many who are non believers. 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏼♀️