If you are actively infected with the coronavirus and cannot stay completely away from others in your home, droplets from your nose or mouth could infect another person. Stay away from others as much as possible and wear your mask around others until your doctor says it’s safe to discontinue wearing it. You might have seen face shields on some health care providers, even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Disposable, blue surgical masks cannot be laundered or cleaned and should be thrown away when they are visibly soiled or damaged. N95s and KN95s are available to the public and, if worn consistently and properly, are effective to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please remember that masking is required when you enter any of our care facilities. Check the directions for each face mask to know how often you should use it. Many facial masks are designed to be used several times a week as a boost to your skincare routine.
In August 2021, we tested a new batch and a used Enro and Happy Masks Pro . View any specific filtration claims with a healthy dose of skepticism—some of the masks we tested in the lab fell shy of their claims. Washing a filter-incorporated mask weakens the filter over time, too, as our experiment with Medical masks the Enro and Happy Masks Pro proved. If you’re stuffing a mask pocket, try to find a filter that covers the entire expanse of the mask and stays put. Otherwise, you’re not taking advantage of the filter’s fullest potential—droplets tend to sneak through portions of a mask with the least resistance.
N95 respirators are not designed for children or people with facial hair. Because a proper fit cannot be achieved on children and people with facial hair, the N95 respirator may not provide full protection. Challenges may be caused by being sensitive to materials on the face, difficulty understanding the importance of mask wearing for protection, or having difficulty controlling behavior to keep the mask in place. Children ages 2 years and older can wear masks or respirators to protect themselves and others from COVID-19.
Fortunately, these days there are many high-quality mask options to choose from, including medical-style N95s and KN95s, which many experts currently recommend as the best protection. But depending on the situation, reusable cloth masks with incorporated filters can block particles nearly as well as medical-grade masks can, as long as they fit securely. Also called surgical masks, these are loosefitting disposable masks.
Hedley & Bennett is a kitchenware company that pivoted from making aprons and chef coats to masks. It designed them in collaboration with Robert Cho, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon. They’re sturdy, comfortable, and made from either cotton or a cotton-poly blend, with an adjustable nose wire. They come with a pocket for a removable filter and now offer adjustable straps and different strap designs. For every mask sold, the company donates a mask to frontline health care workers and farmworkers. Primal’s mask is comfortable, secure around my nose and mouth, and includes a filter to improve the level of protection.