The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has recently recommended the use of cloth masks. In their website, CDC has provided information on how to make a DIY cloth face mask from household materials. Trump said that the new recommendations are voluntary, with the health professionals stressing that surgical masks and N95 respirator masks must only be for the use of frontline health workers.
There are varieties of USA made face masks out there, but not all of them are as accessible as a cloth face mask, N95 respirators, and surgical masks.
Cloth face masks may not be as effective as the PPE used by the health professionals, but if you use it properly, it can be a useful DIY personal protective equipment.
Cloth Face Masks Can Potentially Block Droplets of Bodily Fluids.
Wearing cloth face masks can potentially block droplets of bodily fluids coming from coughing and sneezing. This blockade keeps your face clear from unexpected contamination, and asymptomatic COVID19 carriers around you.
Cloth Face Masks Provides Another Level of Germ-Blocking.
Better something than nothing. Covering your face is an absolute must when going out to buy groceries and going outside amidst this global pandemic. In the worst-case scenarios, it also prevents your asymptomatic self from infecting other people with projected bodily fluids.
Cloth Face Masks Helps By Adding Another Layer of Protection.
Taking every precaution necessary to mitigate COVID19 risks must be observed with all seriousness because it may draw the line between a healthy you or an infected you. Adding another level of protection wouldn’t hurt anyone. Along with the standard procedures of keeping oneself clean and sanitized, wearing a cloth face masks will add up to your defenses.
Some experts argue that wearing such masks provides a false sense of protection and security among the people, making them disregard the standard operating procedures. In a press briefing, the coronavirus task- force response coordinator of the White House (and a physician as well) Deborah Birx, emphasized that there are multiple ways a person can get infected with COVID19. These include eye touching, which not covered by a rave face mask.
The CDC cannot stress it even further: cloth masks are not replacements for the standard sanitation procedure. Nothing beats the standard quarantine, the proper handwashing, and the usage of alcohol and hand sanitizers. We have to be careful. As citizens, we must take every necessary action to minimize the spread of the disease. We are facing a pandemic, not just the typical cold. The risk is everywhere. Let’s try to lessen the chances as much as we can.
