5 Reasons To Choose Reusable Cloth Face Masks Over Single-Use Face Masks
In addition to frequent handwashing and avoiding close contact with others, using a face mask to cover your nose and mouth when out in public is one of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) foremost recommendations when it comes to preventing the spread of SARS-CoC-2 or the virus that causes COVID-19. Given the many available options for masks out there, though, it can be difficult for the average consumer to determine which one they should purchase and use.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that members of the general public use a fabric or cloth face mask to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. Here are a few other reasons why you should opt for them over single-use face coverings such as surgical masks and respirators.
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Cloth Face Masks Are Also Effective in Catching Respiratory Droplets
We’ve all known for a while that COVID-19 spreads through close proximity to others, primarily when respiratory droplets—produced by infected individuals when they cough, sneeze, or speak— land in the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth) of others who are nearby. Research obtained by the CDC shows that SARS-CoV-2 can also be spread by people who do not exhibit the more obvious symptoms of the disease through speaking or breathing. That’s why wearing face coverings is so important. It can help you protect others from the illness in case you happen to be infected and don’t know it.
The CDC recommends wearing a mask whenever you need to step out in public or have to interact with people who do not live in your household. This is especially important in spaces where proper social distancing may be difficult to maintain, such as supermarkets, banks, or public transportation.
Cloth Face Masks Can Also Help Keep You from Touching Your Mouth and Nose
We also know that a healthy person may catch COVID-19 through fomite transmission, or when they have indirect contact with a surface that has been contaminated with the respiratory droplets of an infected individual. This is why both the CDC and the WHO continue to stress the importance of proper handwashing, as well as making sure not to touch one’s eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
However, most people touch their faces from 16 to 23 times per hour without ever being aware of it. Cloth face masks, therefore, create a supremely useful physical barrier between your hands and your nose and mouth areas.
Choosing a Cloth Face Mask Is a Service to Frontline Medical Personnel
Surgical masks and respirators have always been critical to the work performed by health care professionals and first responders. These medical devices are needed perhaps now more than ever in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As the outbreak continues to expand globally, though, the medical community has unfortunately found itself in short supply of them at a moment when they require it the most.
Going with a cloth face mask instead of a surgical mask or an N95 mask helps preserve the available stock of personal protective equipment for medical personnel who need them to perform their duties safely. CDC guidance also recommends not using masks meant for frontline health care workers for this same reason.
Reusable Cloth Face Masks Are More Environmental-Friendly
In response to the global pandemic, more and more Americans have been using single-use personal protective equipment such as surgical masks and gloves in their daily lives. According to current estimates, 65 billion plastic gloves and 129 billion face masks will be used and disposed of every month of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, reports made as early as June this year warned that coronavirus waste has quickly become a new form of pollution, with most of these devices making their way to our oceans and landfills.
Cloth face masks are, by contrast, a much more environmental-friendly alternative. They can be worn, washed, and reused multiple times and you likely won’t need more than one or two. To care for your cloth face mask, wash it using hot water and soap or detergent at least once a day. Temperatures above 60°C or 140°F can kill any COVID-19 contaminants.
Cloth Face Masks Are Much More Discreet and Comfortable
Until such time when a vaccine is developed for the SARS-CoV-2, it is our responsibility to continue heeding the guidelines set by our health experts. Since we’ll all be wearing masks for a while, we might as well prioritize comfort while we’re at it. Cloth face masks are much more tolerable for everyday use compared to something like an N95 respirator, which can be difficult to breathe through. Additionally, donning a cloth face mask gives off a subtler aesthetic. It demonstrates your consideration towards others without making you appear sick or unhealthy.
At the end of the day, we would all do well to keep in mind that wearing a mask is only a complementary measure. The best and safest way to prevent oneself from getting sick is to avoid exposure to the virus by staying home, practicing proper social distancing when outdoors, washing our hands frequently, and observing proper coughing and sneezing etiquette.