With all of the conflicting and confusing information circulating about all-things COVID-19, there is one thing that we can now safely say is a logical, simple and highly effective way to protect ourselves and others from contamination: wearing face masks. When we all wear them, we are preventing the physical spread of COVID-19 while expressing true compassion for others. Why?
Because when I wear my mask, I am protecting YOU and when you wear YOURS, you are protecting ME. It’s that simple: it’s compassion in action.
The types of materials, design and proper mask fit are critical for effectiveness. If your mask is too thin or doesn’t cover your mouth and nose snuggly, there is no point in wearing it.
Here are a few tips to follow when selecting a cloth mask to purchase:
- The material should be a tightly woven natural fabric
- Multiple layers of different natural, breathable fabrics are best
- Size Matters: Your mask should fit over your mouth and nose snuggly
- Re-Usable and Washable: The last thing we all want to do is to add unnecessarily to the already high negative environmental impact. Choose Re-Usable and Washable natural cloth
- Say “NO” to N95’s and surgical masks: Let’s all do our best to reserve these live-saving PPE’s for healthcare workers who are risking their lives every single Anyway, you don’t need them because Cloth Masks Work!
Stay-at-home orders and mandatory business closures have seriously affected small local businesses and will continue to impact them for the foreseeable future. With most of the government loan funds being swallowed up by larger businesses who can afford to weather the storm of a lengthy closure, small businesses with slim cash reserves need to be very creative in order to survive. Some local Marin County companies are re-purposing their otherwise non-essential businesses to produce face masks to sell for personal use. In doing so they are able to stay open, put their staff back to work and even share some of the proceeds with local charitable foundations in need.
Now that Face Masks are de rigeur, there is no reason why we shouldn’t embrace this life-saving practice and try to have some fun with it. Choosing masks with different shapes, colors, styles and designs that compliment your wardrobe and mood will not only look great but will also increase the chances that we will all stay the course and do our part to help reduce the spread of this devastating disease.
