Why wear face coverings, options out there, and how to keep them clean
S ince the pandemic began months ago, officials have been encouraging Ontarians to do their part to help stop the spread of COVID-19. It’s safe to say that people are eager to see their communities return to some semblance of normalcy.
There are many new health regulations that have been introduced in order to protect yourself and others against the spread of COVID-19. Of these regulations, the most immediately visible is the use of face coverings. You can see these on just about everyone, everywhere. Shopping, driving, walking down the street; it’s harder now to find someone not wearing one, and donning a mask has quickly become the standard for going out.
According to a July Class Order issued by the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Health Unit, respiratory droplets are a vehicle for spreading the virus between people. Epidemiological evidence suggests that the spread of droplets from the nose and mouth can be decreased by wearing face coverings and, therefore, experts support their widespread usage when it comes to lowering COVID-19’s transmission.
Places like shopping malls, restaurants, and grocery stores make it really hard to avoid contact with other people. While restaurants have gone through redesigns to ensure that there is appropriate distance between tables, allowing customers to eat and drink mask-free, people are still required to mask-up while moving about the establishment, such as when visiting a bathroom.
Face coverings at the U of G
When it comes to returning to school, the University of Guelph has provided a breakdown of what can be considered acceptable face coverings, as well as when to wear them, on their Return to Campuses website. These face coverings include: non-medical masks, bandanas, scarves and any other materials that cover the wearer’s mouth and nose.
All over campus students and faculty are required to wear face coverings in areas where the recommended social distancing rules cannot apply, like classrooms, or indoor gathering areas. The school has committed to offering two reusable face masks to staff as well as students who request them. If all these rules seem confusing and overwhelming, a general rule of thumb is that if you’re indoors and/or around a large group of people, wear a mask.
Face covering options
If you find the right option for you, masks can be a comfortable non-obstacle to going about your life. There are many available options both online and in store. Some are reusable and some are not. But how do you choose? How do you know what’s better for your protection and for those around you?
The trick is to find one that you’re comfortable wearing day in and day out — depending on how you spend your day — while still following the guidelines that will protect both you and your fellow Canadians.
In terms of non-medical, reusable options, you can use a cloth mask. Many stores carry different fits and styles of these masks. You can find some athletic style ones for roughly $3 or $4 at your local sporting goods store. Making your own reusable cloth mask is also an option. If making one at home, it’s recommended by WHO that the mask have 3 layers: an inner absorbent layer, a filter layer, and an outer non-absorbent layer. These three layers act as a way to protect others from you, as well as protect you from other people.
It should be mentioned that if you want to go the disposable route, an accessible and cost-effective option would be to buy a bulk pack of surgical masks like the ones you can find at Costco.
These can typically be found in packs of 25 or 50. One box of 50 can run you upwards of $25.
You can also wear scarves and bandanas, although ones with a single layer of material may not be as protective as the aforementioned options.
Keeping a non-medical face covering clean
If you decide to go with a reusable mask, you may wonder how to keep it clean and maintain it. For cloth masks, the CDC recommends two options: tossing the mask in with the rest of your laundry and/or washing it by hand.
If you wish to wash your mask by hand you can do so with a bleach solution using 1/3rd cup of bleach per one gallon of water.
Be sure to check that your bleach is appropriate for disinfection purposes, as some types of bleach may not be suitable for this purpose. To clean the mask, let it soak in the solution for five minutes then rinse it off with cool or warm water. Hang the mask in a well-ventilated area to air-dry.
The most important takeaway is that the mask mandate is here to protect everyone. Being in a state of pandemic, the most important thing you can do is follow the six feet social distancing rule and wear masks when appropriate. For the sake of everyone around you, wear a mask so we can quickly and safely get to the point where we don’t need to anymore.
A version of this article appeared in print in The Ontarion issue 189.1 on Aug. 27, 2020.
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