MACON, Ga. — In these times, before you leave home, one of the essential items you grab before heading out the door may be a protective face mask.
Where and how you use them determines their effectiveness.
"You take it, you put it over one ear, while you hold the other corner. Pull it over the other ear, then -- this is really important --you pull it down over your chin. Then, you kind of pinch the bridge of your nose."
Jennifer Hoffman, Infectious Disease Specialist at Coliseum Hospital, explains the right way to wear a mask.
If your mask is worn exposing your nose, it's not protecting your airways from the virus.
"You don't want to be taking it on and off while wearing it, and you don't want to be adjusting it while you're wearing it," says Hoffman.
Once it's on, leave it alone until you're back from your public outing. Otherwise, you risk contaminating it.
"When you take it off, it goes straight into the wash basket, you wash that one. You use a new one until that one is clean again."
The CDC says a washing machine will properly clean a mask. When it comes to traveling in your car, should you leave the mask on?
"I know some people really hate wearing them, and are going to be tempted to do so, but each time you touch the mask, you risk contaminating yourself."
The CDC recommends to wear a mask in a public setting where you can't social distance, like the grocery store.
Whether you have symptoms or not, Hoffman says to wear one regardless.
"Somewhere between 25-50% of people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic or have such mild symptoms they just don't even realize that they're sick, so you could be an asymptomatic carrier and not even know it. So if you don't want to spread it around the community, then it's very helpful to wear a mask."
You should not use surgical masks or N-95 respirators.
Those are critical supplies that must be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders.
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