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Three simple steps to protect yourself and save lives:
- Wear an effective mask with a filter and 3-4 layers
- Wash your hands regularly
- Clean or replace your mask daily
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The MaskUP Routine
1
Wear a filtered mask over your mouth and nose
Pick the right mask and wear it correctly
Your mask needs a filter in order for it to be effective. Disposable surgical masks and cloth masks that use filter inserts have a static electricity charge. That charge is what prevents small particles, such as the coronavirus, from penetrating them.
To wear the mask effectively, fit it under your chin and pinch the edge of the mask around your nose. The mask should lay flat along your cheeks and leave no gaps, creating a seal.
2
Wash your hands before touching your mask or face
Handling your mask properly will keep you and those around you safe and healthy
If viral droplets have landed on your hands or you’ve picked them up from surfaces you’ve touched, you can potentially contaminate anything you handle.
To avoid spreading germs, sterilize your hands by washing them thoroughly with soap and water (or by using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer) after coming into contact with possibly tainted surfaces. Be careful to only touch the loops or edges of the mask before you adjust it.
3
Clean or replace your mask every day
Change your mask as often as you change your underwear
Once a mask is used, it will pick up dirt, moisture, bacteria and potentially viral particles from you and your environment. The static charge that traps incoming and outgoing droplets will weaken with use, making your mask less effective.
To be safe, it’s good practice to replace your disposable masks every day. If you’re using a cloth mask, it should be washed it in hot water using a mild detergent (either in a washing machine or by hand is fine) daily. Be sure to dry the mask completely before inserting a fresh filter filter.
Why Wear a Mask?
Masks prevent the spread of COVID-19
Educate yourself
The type of mask and how you wear it are just as important for sufficient protection and preventing a fourth wave. You want a mask that has a filter made with polypropylene and creates a seal around your mouth and nose. Wearing a mask—especially when combined with frequent hand-washing and social distancing—can help reduce the risk of COVID-19 and lessen the severity if you do become ill.
Stay vigilant
The COVID-19 variants pose a threat to all of the progress that we have made in battling the virus. As vaccines are deployed at an increasing rate, wearing a mask correctly and social distancing protocols are still vital to truly ending this fight. It’s in your best interest to revisit the most current public health guidelines and try to adhere to them.
Pioneer a post-COVID future
The actions we take today will dictate how soon we can get back the lifestyles we so dearly miss. Support the hard work that went into developing vaccines and protect yourself and others by following the MaskUp steps. That means speaking up to family members and friends who are on the fence about masking too. Do your part and join the MaskUP Project to help amplify your voice.
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