Considerations for Wearing Masks

Know How to Wear Your Face Mask Correctly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSvff0QljHQ&t=1s

Your mask helps protect those around you:

COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets. Respiratory droplets travel into the air when you cough, sneeze, talk, shout, or sing. These droplets can then land in the mouths or noses of people who are near you or they may breathe these droplets in.

Masks are a simple barrier to help prevent your respiratory droplets from reaching others. Studies show that masks reduce the spray of droplets when worn over the nose and mouth.

You should wear a mask, even if you do not feel sick. This is because several studies have found that people with COVID-19 who never develop symptoms (asymptomatic) and those who are not yet showing symptoms (pre-symptomatic) can still spread the virus to other people. Wearing a mask helps protect those around you, in case you are infected but not showing symptoms.

It is especially important to wear a mask when you are indoors with people you do not live with and when you are unable to stay at least 6 feet apart since COVID-19 spreads mainly among people who are in close contact with one another.

Your mask offers some protection to you:

A cloth mask also offers some protection to you too. How well it protects you from breathing in the virus likely depends on the fabrics used and how your mask is made (e.g. the type of fabric, the number of layers of fabric, how well the mask fits).

Certain groups of people who may find it difficult to wear a mask:

Some children 2 years and older, and people of any age with certain disabilities

Masks should not be worn by:

• Children younger than 2 years old
• Anyone who has trouble breathing
• Anyone who is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance

Appropriate and consistent use of masks may be challenging for some children and for people of any age with certain disabilities, including cognitive, intellectual, developmental, sensory, and behavioral disorders.

When deciding if children and people with certain disabilities should wear a mask, determine if they can:

• Use a mask correctly
• Avoid frequent touching of the mask and their face
• Limit sucking, drooling, or having excess saliva on the mask
• Remove the mask without assistance

If children and people with certain disabilities are unable to wear a mask properly or cannot tolerate a mask, they should not wear one.

People with certain underlying medical conditions

Most people with underlying medical conditions can and should wear masks.

• If you have respiratory conditions and are concerned about wearing a mask safely, discuss with your healthcare provider the benefits and potential risks of wearing a mask.
• If you have asthma, you can wear a mask. Discuss with your healthcare provider if you have any concerns about wearing a mask.

High intensity activities

• Masks should be used in public settings, but if you are unable to wear a mask because of difficulty breathing during high intensity activities, choose a location with greater ventilation and air exchange (for instance, outdoors versus indoors) and where you can keep at least 6 feet from others during the activity.
• If you are able to wear a mask, remove your mask if it gets moist from sweat and replace it with a clean mask.
• Opt for an activity that does not require using mouth guards or helmets. Wearing a mask with these types of protective equipment is not safe if it makes it hard to breathe.
• Supervise children who are wearing a mask while playing sports.

Types of masks

Some masks work better than others to help stop the spread of COVID-19 outside of healthcare settings. Medical masks and N-95 respirators should not be used because they should be conserved for healthcare personnel.

RECOMMENDED

Non-medical disposable masks

Masks that fit properly (snugly around the nose and chin with no large gaps around the sides of the face)

Masks       made with breathable fabric (such as cotton)

Masks made with tightly woven fabric (i.e., fabrics that do not let light pass through when held up to a light source)

Masks with two or three layers

Masks with inner filter pockets

NOT RECOMMENDED

Masks that do not fit properly (large gaps, too loose or too tight)

Masks made from         materials that are hard to breathe through (such as plastic or leather)

Masks made from loosely woven fabric or that are knitted, i.e., fabrics that let light pass through

    

    Masks with one layer

Masks with exhalation valves or vents

Wearing a scarf/ski mask as a mask

Cloth masks

The most effective fabrics for cloth masks are

• Tightly woven fabrics, such as cotton and cotton blends
• Breathable
• Two or three fabric layers

Less effective fabrics for cloth masks are

• Loosely woven fabrics, such as loose knit fabrics
• Difficult to breathe through (like plastic or leather)
• Single layer

Non-medical disposable masks

Disposable face masks are single-use masks. They are sold online and through large retail stores. These are not the same as surgical or other medical masks.

You may prefer using disposable masks in situations where your mask is likely to get wet or dirty. As with cloth masks, make sure your disposable mask fits close to your face without large side-gaps and completely covers your nose and mouth. Bring extra disposable masks with you in case you need to change out a dirty or wet mask.

Masks with exhalation valves or vents

CDC does not recommend using masks with exhalation valves or vents because this type of mask may not prevent you from spreading COVID-19 to others. The hole in the material may allow your respiratory droplets to escape and reach others. Research on the effectiveness of these types of masks is ongoing.

Face shields and goggles

For example, people who interact with those who are deaf or hearing impaired may find that a face shield is better than a mask when communicating. If you must wear a face shield instead of a mask:

• Choose a face shield that wraps around the sides of your face and extends below your chin or a hooded face shield. This is based on the limited available data that suggest these types of face shields are better at preventing spray of respiratory droplets.
• Wash your hands after removing the face shield. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth when removing it.
• Clean and disinfect reusable face shields according to the manufacturer’s instructions or by following CDC face shield cleaning instructions. If you use a disposable face shield, wear it once and throw it away according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Recent studies

• Mueller AV, Eden MJ, Oakes JM, et al. Quantitative Method for Comparative Assessment of Particle Removal Efficiency of Fabric Masks as Alternatives to Standard Surgical Masks for PPE (July 2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2020.07.006external icon

external icon

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590238520303647

• Sousa‐Pinto B, Fonte AP, Lopes AA, et al.Face masks for community use: An awareness call to the differences in materials (August 2020). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7361409/

• Furukawa NW, Brooks JT, Sobel J. Evidence Supporting Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 While Presymptomatic or Asymptomatic [published online ahead of print, 2020 May 4]. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020;26(7):10.3201/eid2607.201595. Link

• Aydin O, Emon B, Saif MTA. Performance of fabrics for home-made masks against spread of respiratory infection through droplets: a quantitative mechanistic study. medRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.19.20071779, posted April 24, 2020.

• Ma QX, Shan H, Zhang HL, Li GM, Yang RM, Chen JM. Potential utilities of mask-wearing and instant hand hygiene for fighting SARS-CoV-2. J Med Virol. 2020.

Adapted from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html

external icon