Coronavirus: These five mask mistakes are putting you at risk of contracting COVID-19

As the novel coronavirus continues to ravage across the globe, putting together a united front by following all the social distancing protocols and practising hand hygiene measures is our best bet in containing the spread of the virus.

However, with the gradual opening of several economic activities, including the shops, markets, restaurants, schools and other institutes, the chancing of running into an infected person has become quite high. This is precisely why it is important to don your face mask or face cover as soon as you step out of your home and make sure that you do not touch its outer surface.

The problem is that while people do understand that wearing a mask has become the necessary safety gear during the pandemic, not a lot of people got the memo that it has to be worn in a way that it covers your mouth and nose, BOTH! Yes, shocking, isn’t it? A lot of people can be seen with their face covers dangling on their one ear, tucked in just below their chin or just carrying it around in case you have to enter a really crowded area. The whole idea of wearing a face cover that fits you snugly and covers your mouth and nose both is to prevent you from breathing in the SARS-CoV-2 virus or breathing out the same, in case you are infected.

So, the next time you step out wearing a face cover, make sure you are not making the below-mentioned five mistakes.

One of the most common mistakes which people make is wearing a face mask or face cover which just covers their nostrils. There are two issues with this approach, one, it shows that your face cover isn’t fitted properly as it should and two, it is more likely to slip and put you at the risk of infection. A good face mask or face cover should always cover the bridge of your nose and your mouth properly.

If you examine carefully, your mask will have a nose piece (a wired piece in the centre of the mask) which takes the shape of your nose when you wear it. Once, you place the nose piece above your nose, press hard on it, so that it takes the shape of your nose. The face mask will retain the shape, even after you take it off.

This one is a no-brainer. Any medical mask or a surgical mask will have a clear inner and outer side, hence, it is important to wear them accordingly. In case you are wearing homemade face covers, make sure that you do not keep flipping the sides. This is because the outer side of the mask may be contaminated and when you wear it inside out, you come in contact with all the pathogens accumulated on the outer side.

Again, you MUST treat the outer surface of the mask as already contaminated and avoid touching it completely. If at all, you have to readjust or remove the mask, make sure to do so, using the strings attached to it. In any case, sanitize your hands properly after touching any portion of the mask with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or wash your hands properly.

Depending on the kind of mask or face cover you use, it is important to either sanitize it properly or wash it in case of a cloth mask. If you are wearing a cloth mask, make sure to wash it with warm water and detergent thoroughly and dry out in the sun.

In addition to your mask fitting you snugly, it is also important that it is not dirty or wet. A wet mask is less effective against the virus, hence it puts you and others close to you at the risk of contracting the infection.