Why should I wear a mask?

Studies have indicated that coronavirus particles may remain in the air and on surfaces longer than previously thought, meaning it’s important to keep particles from being breathed out and breathed in. Masks help in that regard.  Wearing a face mask prevents virus-transmitting droplets from a person’s mouth or nose reaching someone else and infecting them. N95 respirators and surgical masks are designed to prevent the spew of tiny particles containing the virus; homemade cloth masks or bandannas are more permeable, but may still help to prevent community transmission if everyone wears them.  There is no guarantee that you won’t become infected with COVID-19 if you wear a mask, but wearing masks is something that will help us all control the spread, and most importantly, when we go to the grocery store or gas station, keep those frontline workers from getting sick.

CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help prevent people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.  Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.

Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, or on anyone who has trouble breathing or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

Cloth face coverings should:

• fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
• be secured with ties or ear loops
• include multiple layers of fabric
• allow for breathing without restriction
• be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape

Individuals should be careful not to touch their eyes, nose, and mouth when removing their face covering and wash hands immediately after removing.

The face covering you have been given has been laundered and sanitized for initial use, but you must launder it periodically after use.

Your face mask should be washed and dried as often as necessary, depending on how often you are using it.  Please wash your face mask daily if:

• You have gone outside your home or have been around people not in your household for more than 15 minutes.
• It has become visibly soiled/dirty

Make sure you wash your mask in a washing machine and then put it in a clothes dryer on high heat. The detergent and the high heat will kill the virus.