How To Wear a Face Mask
From the 24th July it will become mandatory to wear a face mask or face covering in all shops, and we will be updating our Covid policy at Precious in line with this.
We will be asking all customers who shop with us to please wear a mask, and if you do not have one to purchase a disposable mask at cost from us. We too will be wearing face coverings in the shop, and some of our favourites in really elegant prints are from accessory brand Tutti & Co.
Although there has been a lot of conflicting information about the merits of face coverings it seems that it can be beneficial in offering protection to each other. As Professor Trish Greenhalgh, of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford, recently explained to The Independent.
“My mask protects you; yours protects me”.
Here are the do's & dont's
- A face mask or covering must be worn covering both the nose and the mouth or it will not provide full protection against the virus. When we sneeze, cough, talk, or even just breathe we all emit small particles to the air and those particles can contain the virus that causes Covid-19. If it’s too loose, all the air will go around the sides of the mask and none of the particles will be removed that way.
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It’s essential to wash your hands after handling or touching a used face covering. If you are wearing a face covering for a larger part of the day, you may wish to change it as in summer they can feel quite humid, so having a spare with you is a good idea.
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While washing is the ideal, if you can’t do so after every wear, place the mask in a paper bag (not plastic!) and keep it in a warm place, like near a window. Wait at least 72 hours before wearing the mask again which will allow the mask to rest and for any of the virus to become inactive.
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Either hand wash a fabric face mask with a gentle laundry detergent or include in your general washing. If washing by hand make sure you give it a good rub for at least 20 seconds in soapy, warm water, and then rinse and leave to dry throughly.
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Choose breathable materials, such as cotton, to minimise sweat and oil getting trapped, or give yourself periodic mask breaks in a safe, socially distanced setting to avoid feeling too claustrophobic.
Choosing a range of more decorative masks that can co ordinate with your outfits seems to be the way to go, and leaves the surgical grade masks for those who need them most in more specialist settings.
After all if we can all look after each other by something as simple as covering our faces it's a must do - let's all just #wearadamnmask