Amid the continuous spread of the coronavirus disease or (COVID-19), health experts, the World Health Organization, and governments around the world have called to the public to wear face masks when going out.
However, the current health crisis has also led to a shortage of personal protective equipment. Thus, people with the advice of health experts have resorted to making their own facemasks in order to comply with the imposed regulations.
This, however, has also raised issues concerning the effectiveness of said face coverings that people have made on their own. Prompting questions like, "Do home made masks work?"
Arguments about the standards and the quality of face coverings have recently resulted in controversies and debates but the majority of the population thinks that they are not an effective tool for protection against coronavirus.
It is also important to have a better understanding and to know the difference between the terms face mask and face covering. A face mask is a protective mask built with standard and has specifications while a face covering is anything that can cover the face presentably.
But the main problem is that, while we are previously used to wear these well-designed face masks that is effective as a PPE, during the global health crisis like this, that caused shortages of PPEs, it is impractical if everyone will use this regulated masks and trained them to use, The Conversation stated.
The shortage diverted the real concern from wearing a face mask for personal protection to the wearing a face covering for the sake of the public. Wearing face-covering is an idea despite being unregulated of wearing a face cover as it also just like when you cover your mouth when you at going to cough.
But now, which among these varieties of unregulated face coverings used by the public is the most effective?
In order for us to know the meaning of effectiveness, we have to remind ourselves, what is the very reason why we are wearing a mask. It is coronavirus or COVID-19, so take note that particles are at a size of 0.08 micrometers, and normally the gaps within a typical cloth used for face covering are about 1,000 times larger.
Can Homemade Masks Prevent Infection?
So what is the point of using these face coverings? Despite it is less in standard, wearing cloth covering for your face can reduce the distance that your breath spreads away from yourself, thus also helping curb the spread of the virus, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If you are wearing these face coverings, the distance when you breathe out shortens so if you are unknowingly positive with COVID-19, it is only acquirable at around your meter radius. This is better than spreading all over the surfaces and other people.
If you really want to protect yourself, you can use N95 masks, but when you use one of those without any high risk, then you are depriving our healthcare workers on what they could use as the world faces mask shortage.
Always remember, if you really want yo avoid catching the virus, the mask is not the answer. By staying at home, washing your hands, and carefully touches your face, then you do not have anything to worry about.
