MASKING UP
Which type of face mask is best for you? Grace Jennings | Staff Reporter
D
o you want to go shopping? Or to the grocery store? To work or school? Then you have to wear a mask. Since June 29, citizens of Duval County have been required to wear a mask in response to COVID-19. This is a strategy to keep yourself and those around you safe, but which mask should you choose? There are a range of different masks to choose from. Some may be quick to think that these masks all do the same thing. However, these different types of masks fall on a spectrum of efficiency. Lisa Maragakis, M.D., M.P.H., an expert in infection prevention, provided insight into how effective masks are in a study with Johns Hopkins Medicine. “A mask helps contain small droplets that come out of your mouth and/or nose when you talk, sneeze or cough.” Maragakis said. “If you have COVID-19 and are not showing symptoms, a face mask reduces your chance of spreading the infection to others.” One type of mask is a cloth mask, made of cotton or other fabrics. This type of mask usually ranges from about $6 to $15 in price. “While cloth masks are not medical-grade, they may be helpful in non-patient settings to contain coughs and to remind people to not touch their face,” Maragakis said. “But they are not suitable
for providing medical care to patients.” Disposable masks are another option. “Although they are not close fitting, blue disposable masks are fluid resistant and provide some protection against larger respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes,” Maragakis said. Another thing to consider when choosing a mask is its environmental impact. Suchetana Mukhopadhyay, an author from earth.org, explained that disposable surgical masks are made from plastic based materials. They have a long afterlife after being discarded and end up in a landfill or the ocean. This causes a problem that Mukhopadhyay believes will exceed the virus itself. “Given that surgical masks are supposed to be worn for no longer than one day, their disposal- along with that of empty hand sanitizer bottles and soiled tissue papers- is leading to a massive trail of clinical waste in the environment.” Here at Bishop Kenny, students are required to wear black, white or gray cloth masks of solid color or disposable masks. Next time you put on a mask, consider the effectiveness and environmental impacts the mask may have. Remember that people can be infected and show no symptoms, so always mask up before going out.
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