Slant On Life

Wearing masks wrong puts you and others at greater risk

I haven’t written a lot about COVID-19, and I don’t really plan to. I’m trying to remain positive and move forward throughout the crisis, so the articles I’m drafting to post here are about other things that are uplifting to me. But I’ll make a short exception here.

We’re five months into COVID-19 at this point, and I still see people wearing face masks incorrectly every day in the media. I figure now is as good a time as any to write a quick post about it.

If even one person reads this post and realizes that they’re wearing their mask incorrectly or they learn the importance of masks from the linked BBC article below, then it has done its job.

Ironically, the people who are wearing masks wrong are actually trying to do some good. They put the mask on in the first place, right? Unfortunately because the masks sometimes don’t come with instructions (or the person made their own mask), maybe they just don’t have the fit concept quite right.

For details on how and why everyone wearing masks helps the overall COVID-19 situation, check out this thorough BBC article.

I read the NY Times often and generally find it to be a good source of content except for the occasional errant fact here and there, which most media sources have these days. Today they published an article that’s an example of something that should have been caught and corrected before publishing. The article was about the good work a delivery person is doing in their community, but every picture of the worker in the article showed her using a face mask that’s only covering her mouth and chin. Her nose is uncovered.

While I most certainly commend the worker in the article for what she’s doing and also for making the effort to wear a mask (both of which are good things!), the Times should not have used photos showing incorrect usage of protective equipment. The article will be seen by many people who might now erroneously conclude this is an acceptable way to wear a mask. I saw similar photos in articles from two other reputable sources this weekend as well.

What simple steps could have been used to correct this situation?

• Companies large and small should issue employee communications about how to wear masks correctly.

• The photographer who took the pictures should have helped the woman and informed her that she was wearing the mask incorrectly. She then could have put it on properly before the photos were taken.

• Media editors should prevent photos showing improper use of protective equipment from being used in their stories.

Working together we can help correct misinformation that circulates about personal safety during COVID-19. Everyone has to do their part to help the bigger picture, so I’ll do my small part here.

Proper fit

To see how to wear a mask correctly, refer to the CDC image above and check out the photos below showing the right and wrong ways.

You should adjust the fit of your mask so that it completely covers your nose, mouth, and chin area. Anything else is wrong and therefore less effective.

Sum it up

Obviously the last photo above is just a bit of comic relief to an otherwise serious topic. Proper fit of your mask will help you and everyone around you stay a degree safer in these difficult times, and we should take whatever edge we can get. In many countries where masks are typically worn during illness, these practices are already part of their cultural and societal norms so they’re well aware of how to wear them properly. However, for those people less familiar with masks because this is new to them, hopefully this refresher helps.

Be safe everyone!