The coronavirus pandemic is taking a rise every day; we must take all the measures to protect ourselves and our fellow humans. According to the experts, vaccinations are happening worldwide, but still, there is a scare of the third wave that might come. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) has newly advised the citizens to layer up their masks with an extra mask. The experts at CDC explain that wearing a cloth mask under a disposable mask can increase your protection against the Covid-19. Know more about how to Protect Yourself From Covid in this blog.
A recent study revealed that layering your mouth and nose area with two masks can reduce exposure to the contaminated aerosol shreds up to 90%. The study further read, “wearing on one single mask blocks the harmful particles up to 51%, and a single surgical mask blocks it by 56% per cent. For the same reason layering your cloth mask with a surgical one will protect you better.
However, Dr Stephanie Stovall, the interim chief of quality and patient safety for Lee Health System, says, “CDC is not asking you to double your mask because it is a requirement but just an extra safety measure. If you are not wearing a more fitted mask or unsure about it, layering it with a cloth mask or vice versa will help you stay away from the virus.” It’s all about the mask fitting for your masks, says Dr Stovall. She further clarifies that it’s not a requirement to wear a double mask. It’s always better to use a well-fitting mask than to find alternatives.
When should You Layer Your Mask to Protect Yourself From Covid?
- When you do not have a properly fitting mask.
- If you feel unsafe wearing only one mask.
- If you feel the need to wear an extra mask.
- If your mask is not able to cover your mouth and nose completely.
- If your mask is not fitting against the sides of your face.
- If you own a K95 mask. (CDC has explained that while wearing a K95, you would not need to combine or layer it with any mask)
How to check if your mask needs layering up?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), a good fit mask should not only fit your face well; but should also permit warm air coming out from your mouth and face. To check if it is a good mask, you can try breathing in and out and see if the mask follows your breath direction. They further added that the mask should not have gaps or big passage holes for air to pass through.
Now that we have understood why and how to wear a mask while this pandemic is going, let’s move further.
When Should You Wear a Mask?
The moment you step out of your house.
A pubic setting is a must to wear a mask.
While traveling through any public or personal convenience
When stepping out to meet people, even if it’s just one of your friends.
Even inside your home if there is someone sick in the house.
Inside someone else’s house, if you are going to meet someone at their place.
Can there be any risk if we layer up our mask with two?
Since the covid pandemic has begun, wearing a mask and what to do and what not has been very sceptical. People are confused, and they are just trying to protect themselves from this deadly virus.
Dr Stovall requests each human in the world to wear a properly fitting mask, one or two but wear them. However, she further added that it’s not all about masks; it’s all about us following other measures than just wearing a mask.
She later added some steps that are mentioned below. You should follow the rules properly to fight against the coronavirus. The below points will protect you from the virus and decrease the spread of the virus.
- Try standing at least 6 feet away from anyone who does not live with you.
- You can try avoiding crowds as much as possible. The reason why working from home started.
- Even if you feel very slightly sick, try not to step out of your home.
- Try not to sit in a poorly ventilated space.
- Wear your mask
- Sanitize yourself or anything that comes from outside.
- Wash your hands after touching anything from outside
- Get your vaccination done as soon as possible
- Get tested if you feel sick or witness any symptoms of Covid-19.
These were some of the ways you can implement to Protect Yourself From Covid, but the only thing that can keep you safe is not going out or meeting people unnecessarily. There are many dangerous variants of covid nowadays in the air. Get yourself vaccinated as soon as possible as the unvaccinated people are at a higher risk this year.