Do You Still Need To Wear Surgical Masks When You’re Social Distancing?

The onset of Covid-19 has seen governments all across the world try and implement various measures to combat the spread of the virus.

Wearing masks and social distancing are perhaps the most common techniques used today. PPEs (Personal Protective Equipment) such as face shields and surgical masks are available from various online stores such as 72hours.ca. Feel free to visit their site so you can surgical mask PPE that’s available on the store.

However, while covering your mouth and nose may give you a significant amount of shielding from the virus, you also have to consider social distancing.

According to medical experts, wearing any face protection, whether face shields or face masks, combined with social distancing is perhaps the most effective approach to protecting yourself from the coronavirus. Research has shown that maintaining a distance of 6 feet will minimize your chances of coming into contact with any contaminated respiratory droplets.

Read on to understand more about the novel coronavirus, how it spreads, and how you can effectively use a surgical mask to keep it at bay.

How Does the Coronavirus Spread Between People?

To better understand the importance of wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, it’s imperative that we shed some insight into how the coronavirus spreads. Covid-19 is caused by a SARS-Cov-2 strain of the virus that is easily contagious.

The Coronavirus spreads when an infected person releases contaminated droplets from the nose or mouth in the form of small particles. This often occurs when the infected person sneezes, coughs, speaks, sings, or breathes heavily.

People run a risk of infection when a non-infected person comes into contact with the contaminated respiratory droplets either through touch or inhaling them.

Although this can easily be barred by using facial masks and shields, the chances of infection are greatly maximized when people are close together and cannot maintain a six-foot social distance with the infected person.

It’s important to note that the size of these particles ranges from large respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols that can be difficult to see with the naked eye.

When Do Infected People Transmit Coronavirus?

People infected with Covid-19 are highly contagious and can spread the virus to other people with ease. According to scientific research, infected people are most contagious before they develop any symptoms, during the early days of the illness.

This means that contrary to common belief, people who are severely infected by Covid-19 are least likely to be contagious. If you want to keep yourself and your loved ones safe from the virus, you cannot overlook the fact that it’s quite challenging to know whether someone is already infected.

As such, it’s of utmost importance that people wear their masks when out in public and maintain social distance especially considering how coronavirus-causing pathogens can spread quickly, and with ease.

Why Maintain 6-Feet Social Distance?

A lot of voices from the health sector have called for people to practice strict social distancing measures of mitigating the spread of the virus. But what is the science behind it why 6 feet?

Well, usually, droplets from an infected person travel out of the mouth and can travel as far as 6 feet. As highlighted above an infected person can sneeze and the droplets can linger in the air for quite some time or land on a surface where they’ll pose a similar risk of infection.

But if you observe a social distance of 6 feet, you will be at a better chance of minimizing your chances of infection.

Are There Any Exceptions To Wearing a Mask?

Depending on the country you reside in, there may be a few exceptions to wearing a face mask when in public. Usually, these exceptions are often aligned on medical issues and require special authorization from the relevant authorities.

At the same time, it’s worth noting that medical exceptions do not necessarily mean that you violate social distancing rules.

Medical Mask Exceptions vs. No Mask No Service

It’s become somewhat of a rule now that people cannot be served at the local store, favorite restaurant, or use public transportation without having to wear a mask. However, there have been videos of meaningless exception cards circulating the internet.

These cards have led to a widespread public skepticism directed towards the importance of masks and medical exemptions for wearing face masks.

In the U.S, for example, walking around with no mask on has further been complicated in that political partisanship has taken center stage. Several parties have pointed an accusing finger at the government’s overreach and infringement of personal rights with regards to face coverings.

While this is the case, merely citing your medical condition does not warrant automatic protection from wearing face masks by the law. Remember that disability issues in the US are overseen by the ADA and are case-specific.

Medical Reasons That Exempt You from Wearing a Mask

With the upsurge in the number of Covid-19 cases, several states and local governments have made it mandatory for everyone, including private businesses, to use or enforce the use of face masks. However, this is not always the case. The CDC has given clear guidelines as to when a person should be exempted from using face masks.

Let’s take a look at some of these exceptions.

• Children younger than two years: Children younger than two years are exempted from wearing face masks. However, parents should ensure to practice social distancing and wear masks to avoid infecting their children.
• Anyone with difficulty breathing: Another group of people who are exempted from wearing masks is people who find it difficult to breathe. These can be individuals who have lung problems or any other underlying cause.
• Unconscious or incapacitated people: The final group of people is those that are incapacitated or unconscious. Due to medical reasons, such individuals are exempt from wearing masks until when they are conscious again.

You Still Need To Wear Surgical Masks Even When You’re Social Distancing

With a lot of information out there about Covid-19 concerning its dangers and health risks, it is quite surprising to see many people using a very light approach to mask-wearing and maintaining social distance. While these measures may seem effective on their own, a combined approach will reduce your risk of infection significantly.