Durban - As the country enters the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic with the number of infections and hospitalisations spiking, authorities are pleading with the public to follow the basic principals of curbing the coronavirus such as wearing a mask in public, washing hands regularly and sanitising.
While many people have become accustomed to wearing a mask, observers however point out that not many people wear them effectively.
For mask to be effective it has to cover the user’s nose and mouth and it should not be lowered when talking .
According to the World Health Organisation, masks should be used as part of a comprehensive strategy of measures to suppress transmission and save lives; the use of a mask alone is not sufficient to provide an adequate level of protection against COVID-19.
The WHO advises that If Covid-19 is spreading in your community, stay safe by taking some simple precautions, such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, cleaning your hands, and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue.
“Make wearing a mask a normal part of being around other people. The appropriate use, storage and cleaning or disposal of masks are essential to make them as effective as possible,” WHO sayd
Here are the basics of how to wear a mask:
- Clean your hands before you put your mask on, as well as before and after you take it off, and after you touch it at any time.
- Make sure it covers both your nose, mouth and chin.
- When you take off a mask, store it in a clean plastic bag, and every day either wash it if it’s a fabric mask, or dispose of a medical mask in a trash bin.
- Don’t use masks with valves.
IOL