How to Properly Wear a Face Mask- Don’t “Half Mask”
We’ve all seen them: People who wear a mask over their mouth only, leaving their nose exposed.
Face masks help protect you and others from spreading or catching COVID-19, but leaving your nose uncovered does not give you full protection, and here’s why:
The SARS-CoV-2 virus lives in people’s nasal passages. When an infected person exhales (coughing, sneezing etc.) they release viral particles from their nose into the air. A mask over the mouth and nose helps to keep infectious particles from becoming airborne.
Perhaps people who “half mask” feel healthy, but as you’ve probably heard by now, people can be infectious without symptoms. Wearing a mask properly isn’t just about protecting others. New research suggests that a mask reduces the volume of germs the wearer breathes in, protecting the “wearer” from getting sick. So, if you are leaving your nose exposed, you’re breathing in more particles from the air around you, putting yourself at a higher risk of catching COVID-19.
If you are “half masking” because you feel claustrophobic, try different types of face coverings- maybe a lighter surgical mask, or a multi layered gaiter. You’ll will be keeping yourself safer from COVID-19 and also protecting those around you.
