With the health risks associated with the global pandemic, it’s important to follow guidelines for wearing masks in public. The Centers for Disease Control offers comprehensive guidance on how and when to wear a mask. Insisting that customers and employees wear masks helps keep your public space safer. To further accomplish this goal, partner with COVID Clear for cleaning services that disinfect your office, home, commercial building, or retail space. We make our disinfectants from environmentally friendly ingredients to achieve maximum effectivity.
The Importance of Wearing a Mask in Public
Wear a mask in a public setting and around people you don’t live with. In addition to social distancing, this is the best defense against spreading the novel coronavirus. Masks help reduce the spread of COVID-19 when there are a lot of people in a public setting. However, children younger than two years old should not wear masks because they can have trouble breathing. Masks with exhalation vents are not ideal for preventing the spread of the disease.
Are Masks Effective Against Coronavirus?
Some types of masks are more effective than others when it comes to preventing COVID-19. Masks provide a barrier to prevent droplets from entering the air where they can be breathed in by others. This prevents other people from getting sick if you are infected with COVID-19, and you sneeze, talk, or cough around them.
Using a mask is part of a technique called source control. Based on what researchers now about COVID-19, masks do decrease the spray of respiratory droplets when they covered the mouth and nose.
The coronavirus spreads mainly between people in close contact with one another. Further, you should stay at least six feet away from others to avoid becoming infected. Masks are especially important when it’s hard to maintain distance from other people.
Who Should Wear A Mask?
The CDC recommends masks for everyone over two years old. You can get COVID-19 from people who are asymptomatic but who have contracted the virus. This makes it essential to wear masks and social distance when you do have to go out in public.
The CDC strongly recommends masks. However, wearing a mask might not be possible for everyone. The CDC also has published adaptations and alternatives for those who cannot comfortably wear a mask.
If you are a caregiver for someone in a vulnerable group, it’s important to wear a mask even at home.
Who Should Not Wear a Mask?
The following groups should not wear masks because it can compromise their breathing:
- Those under two years of age
- Those who have trouble breathing due to respiratory ailments such as COPD
- Anyone unable to remove the mask themselves
- Those with disabilities that prevent them from keeping the mask on
Types of Masks
Here are a few examples of the kinds of face masks available:
- Basic Mask: Basic face masks are recommended for the public and can help prevent COVID-19. These are disposable masks that can be re-worn if necessary, and that are easy to stash in your purse or car when you need to go to the gas station or another public place.
- Surgical Face Mask: The FDA has approved surgical masks made of thin disposable material as a preventive measure against COVID-19. Medical professionals working at drive-thru testing sites sometimes use these masks. Some versions also cover the eyes, cheeks, and forehead.
- N95 Respirator: Health care workers wear N95 respirators. If you do not work directly with patients, you do not need this type of mask. Supplies are scarce, and they should be reserved for emergencies and other medical personnel.
- Face Shield: These masks are not as robust as the glass ones worn by welders. However, they cover you from forehead to chin and typically come with an adjustable headband. While this can protect you from respiratory droplets, it’s difficult to wear for long periods.
COVID Clear uses scientifically effective cleaning and disinfecting products to help kill germs and viruses in your commercial or residential space.
Contact COVID Clear for West Palm Beach, FL Disinfecting Services
At COVID Clear, we use advanced equipment such as electrostatic atomizers to kill more viruses and germs and help keep your business clear of COVID. We even give you a sign to display so that customers and employees feel safer knowing that you take contamination and the prevention of coronavirus seriously. Contact us today at 561.425.9117 to schedule a cleaning appointment for your West Palm Beach, FL, business.