Why Should You Wear A Face Mask?
In this video, I will show you why should you wear a face mask and how it helps prevent coronavirus from spreading. We will have a look at the experts view whether everyone should be wearing face masks and we’ll see how to make a homemade face mask very easy way.
Hi, it’s Magdalena here from HealthValley. If you’re new here, make sure you click that subscribe button and hit the bell to get notified every single time I post a new video.
So let’s jump into it.
Recommendations about masks can easily get confusing because all masks are not made equal.
We have N95 masks which are in a serious shortage even for medical professionals, who are exposed to the highest levels of the virus and are most in need of the strongest protection. They’re also difficult to fit correctly. For those reasons, the CDC does not recommend them for general use.
Then we have surgical and fabric masks. They do not prevent anyone from catching a virus that is already floating around in the environment.
But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States has recently recommended everyone wear a cloth mask. However, this not to prevent the wearer from getting infected. It’s to prevent infected people from passing on the infection.
As wearing a mask does not protect the wearer. But it does protect others.
Some of you may be thinking “I don’t care about others, I just don’t want to get infected”. Well, if you don’t care how many people will die because of you, it may still be worth for you to wear a mask.
Why? Well, you are probably missing going to the shopping centre, to the pub, to the club or party, seeing your friends and just doing things you would normally do if there wouldn’t be any restrictions. But you can be the unaware carrier now and spreading the virus. But if you are wearing a mask and thus protecting others, there will be fewer people getting infected and we will see lifting restrictions and coming back to normal sooner. And modelling done on influenza suggests if 80% of people wear a mask, we’ll stop the spread of the disease.
As people are thought to be most contagious early in the course of their illness when they are beginning to experience symptoms or even before they have any symptoms at all.
Many people must have contracted the virus but remained unaware of it. They, therefore, continued to maintain social contact and spreading the virus, while being unaware that they even have it— because they had mild symptoms or because they had no symptoms at all.
And one person with coronavirus infection can pass it to 406 other people in only a month, that’s in case if the isolation measures are not followed. That would result in 14 deaths.
You can check my videos:
How Many Lives You Can Save With Social Distancing? And Why Social Distancing Saves Lives?
to see how it’s been calculated. I’ll link them in the cards.
So because masks can help keep people with COVID-19 from spreading the virus, and the fact that people can spread the virus before they experience symptoms is an argument for recommending masks for everyone.
But we have to remember that masks aren’t the most important protection against the coronavirus. And some experts are concerned that masks may provide a false sense of security, meaning wearers might do riskier things such as going into crowded spaces and places.
That’s why it’s so important to remember that putting a face mask on does not mean that you stop the other practices. It does not mean you get closer to people; it does not mean you don’t have to wash your hands as often and you can touch your face. All of that is still in place and wearing a mask is just an add-on.
And public health officials are warning people to remain at least 6 feet apart from one another, even if they are wearing masks. Homemade masks are just a piece of the puzzle for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.
We shouldn’t be relying on masks only to help us go back to normal.
Washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and social distancing are still the best ways to stop the deadly new virus from spreading.
Nothing is more efficient than self-isolation at home. In that way, we avoid spreading a virus for certain.
Social distancing is the main and cheapest way to stop yourself and others from getting infected.
So stay as far from everyone as you can, preferably stay at home.
Now, you can easily make your own face mask at home and there are many YouTube tutorials and websites showing you how to do this.
I like the way the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has put together this simple guide Use of Cloth Face Coverings to Help Slow the Spread of COVID-19. After an introduction How to Wear a Cloth Face Covering, we have Sew and No Sew Instructions for 3 very simple tutorials for making your own face covering.
Sewn Cloth Face Covering
Quick Cut T-shirt Face Covering (no-sew method)
Bandana Face Covering (no-sew method)
The last two methods are super easy, and really anyone can do this in a matter of minutes.
If instead of making one you would rather buy a surgical mask similar to this one, I will also put the link in the description box below.
Or if you would prefer the cotton washable and reusable face mask, I’ll link them too.
I’d also like to encourage you to visit MASKS4ALL website. Another place where you will find 3 simple tutorials on how to make face masks but also a thorough explanation of the science behind why we all need to wear masks in public.
You will see which governments have made face masks mandatory in public.
And: Why do the experts agree that masks limit the spread of COVID-19?
The U.S. “CDC (Centers for Disease Control) recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings” because “a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms” and they can be contagious spreaders of the virus. –United States CDC (Centers for Disease Control)
There are “34 scientific papers indicating basic masks can be effective in reducing virus transmission in public — and not a single paper that shows clear evidence that they cannot.” –The Washington Post.
“If everybody [wears homemade masks], we’re protecting each other.”
–Dr. Anthony Fauci, U.S. director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
“Currently available research supports the possibility that coronavirus could be spread via bio-aerosols generated directly by patient exhalation. I’m not going to wear a surgical mask, because clinicians need those. But I have a nice western-style bandana I might wear. Or I have a balaclava. I have some pretty nice options.” –Dr. Harvey Fineberg, Chair of the National Academy of Sciences’ Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats
So that’s what experts say. Please share YOUR thoughts about wearing masks in the comments below.
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Thank you for watching and I will see you guys next time!