Dont Get It Twisted Facemasks Are For Protection, Not Fashion Statement

Unlike any other attire in your wardrobe, facemasks which have now become a necessity need special care with quality being key in it fulfilling its purpose but unfortunately, Kenyans are treating it like any other garment and seeking to be more fashionable than safe.

Facemasks have become the current norm in the fight against COVID-19 never mind that it would have previously attracted too much attention a few months ago but have you familiarized yourself on how to ensure your mask actually serves its purpose?

Is the Facemask You Are Wearing Serving Its Purpose?

Three months into wearing a facemask, I still feel suffocated and to imagine that the discomfort might not even be worth it if at all I mishandle the mask makes this article extremely necessary especially in the fight against COVID-19.

Just like a bullet-proof vest is meant to stop a bullet from tearing into the skin of whoever is wearing it, a mask is meant to ensure the COVID-19 virus does not get to your nose and mouth membranes and vice versa hence curbing the viral spread, wearing a mask that is of poor quality is like wearing a vest that is of poor quality.

Facemasks are not meant to match down your attire or make you look great in your appearance, they are meant to minimize the chances you have of catching an airborne disease and on the current purpose protect you from COVID-19.

As you go out seeking to buy a facemask, do not let the looks fool you, it is quality that should guide, what are the chances that the facemask you are wearing is protecting you from contracting COVID-19 at all?

If the chances that the mask you are wearing are high that it only looks good but has no ability to protect you from contracting COVID-19, then you obviously need to re-look your priorities.

A facemask that is serving its purpose should be good quality, cover your nose and mouth, not hung on your chin as you speak and spit tiny amounts of saliva that are likely to spread COVID-19 or leave your nose exposed to the virus.

Facemasks for Babies Is A No!

Facemasks are not recommended for babies below the age of five years as their respiratory systems are yet to fully mature.

The growing habit of parents dressing their children up and then adding a matching facemask or simply fancy facemask is wrong.

The majority of the facemasks are fancy and made out of material that makes it suffocating and is not recommended for use as the material used should be breathable cotton which is a factor Kenyans need to consider while shopping for a mask.

Facemasks for use should be contamination-free and buying a mask that is freely hanging on a hawker’s hands and even trying it on your face is outright ignorance, if you must buy a mask from a hawker, can you ensure its quality and well-packaged?

Even if the cloth facemask you are buying is tightly packed, do not try it on before thoroughly washing it with foamy soap as you can never be too sure who handled it before it got packaged.

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