Face masks used to be reserved for healthcare professionals, construction workers and a select few who were cautious of germs and bacteria. After the outbreak of COVID-19, they’ve become an integral part of everyday life and likely will remain so for the foreseeable future. Experts claim that people will likely have to wear them until there’s a vaccine, which may take up to a year.
The shift from the world we knew to one where we have to stand six feet apart in line at the grocery store was sudden. So it’s perfectly understandable if you don’t know everything there is about how to navigate in our new normal.
With wearing face masks becoming more of a requirement than a suggestion, we’re here to tell you everything you need to know about doing so in the most effective way.
Here’s a guide on wearing face masks during the COVID-19 outbreak.
How wearing masks helps
The most common way the coronavirus is spread is through respiratory droplets that are produced through coughing, sneezing or other acts in person-to-person contact.
The primary reason that wearing masks is so effective against spreading the disease is that they prevent these droplets from escaping and coming into contact with anyone else. This is the case for medical masks, cloth masks or anything else that covers the mouth and nose.