Hundreds of people lineup at the COVID-19 testing clinic Tuesday, July 14, 2020 in Montreal. The city has recommended that anyone who has been in a bar since July 1, 2020 to get tested. -- CP PHOTO Ryan Remiorz
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
It has become more common place to see people wearing non-medical face masks in public, but how you wear them can make all the difference.
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, has stated that masks can have value in situations where physical distancing is not possible.
As more and more people wear masks it is often clear that they are often not being used correctly.
“If your hands are not clean, you can accidentally spread infection instead of preventing it,” said Tom McMillan, assistant director of communications for Alberta Health.
You need to wash or sanitize your hands before putting the mask on and before taking it off.
You should not touch your mask once it is in place. Observe people wearing masks and inevitably they are constantly adjusting the fit of the mask or for comfort.
The mask should cover your nose mouth and chin at all times and this means the mask has to fit well.
McMillian says not to touch your face under the mask.
As far back as March 24, Alberta Health talked about a medical face mask being important in certain circumstances but warned that for healthy people it could give a false sense of security.
Canada’s medical officer of health and the World Health Organization did not initially endorse the use of masks for the public in general. That opinion has changed more recently.
WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said recently that in areas with widespread transmission of COVID-19 and where physical distancing is not possible, masks are appropriate for some people. He specifically mentioned public transport and crowded environments, but also pointed out that a mask was not enough to protect someone from the COVID-19 virus.
The WHO says masks should only be worn by one person. When soiled or wet they need to be washed or disposed of.
Not all scientists currently agree on the need for the public to wear face masks, expressing concern about the false sense of security and that it could lead to people ignoring other really important steps such as frequent and thorough washing of hands and physical distancing.
The U.K. announced on Tuesday it will require the public to soon wear a face mask in shops.
The WHO has a website with diagrams and a video showing the procedure for wearing a mask.
Alberta Health also has video and other material to assist in correct wearing of a mask and even how to make your own.
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