How to Wear a Mask

This is from a letter to the editor on the NYT.  Apparently making the mask is not the hard part, it's wearing it correctly.

Editor:

You may have heard that surgical masks don’t work for preventing viral infections and may increase the risk of infection. Why is this? It is because people not accustomed to wearing masks can’t keep their hands off them. They constantly fiddle with them, adjust them, pull them down to talk and so on. Every time they do this, they are contaminating their mask with their hands, and if their hands have virus or bacteria on them, then they are risking infection.

As a surgeon, I am used to standing around for hours without touching my mask or my face, but it is very difficult for someone who is not used to this. So, if you decide to wear a mask for protection against viral or bacterial infection, here is what you need to do:

(1) Start with a clean mask. If you are reusing a mask, make sure that you keep it clean when you are not wearing it.

(2) Wash your hands well with soap and water, for a minimum of 20 seconds but preferably more.

(3) Place your mask and get it adjusted perfectly. It may help to do this in front of a mirror.

(4) Now wash your hands again. You are doing this to protect everyone else since you have contaminated your hands by touching your face.

(5) Do not ever touch the mask or any part of your face again unless you repeat steps 2 to 4.

That’s it. It may be hard to get in the habit, but if surgeons can do it, you can, too!

Mitchell A. Fremlin
Westminster, Colo.