Cotton face masks aren’t medical, so they won’t protect you from getting COVID-19. However, the general advice is that wearing a cloth or homemade face mask can help protect other people. Especially if you’re carrying the virus without realising it.
Should You Wear a Face Mask?
Official advice on whether you should wear a face mask differs from country to country. The USA’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. Some countries like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, or US states such as New York are even making it mandatory to wear face masks in public when social distancing isn’t possible.
The UK government no advises people to wear a cloth face covering in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not always possible, and you are more likely to come in contact with people you do not normally meet.
The reason is face coverings can help to protect each other and reduce the spread of the disease, particularly if you have coronavirus like symptoms.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says that non-surgical face masks might help stop the spread of coronavirus by people who are contagious but have no symptoms.
The World Health Organization has also some advice on wearing face masks.
Germany has recently mandated that wearing a face masks on public transport, long-distance trains and shop a legal requirement in most states.
How to Wear a Cloth Face Covering
According to the CDC, cloth face coverings should
- fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
- be secured with ties or ear loops
- include multiple layers of fabric
- allow for breathing without restriction
- be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape
Where to Buy a Face Mask?
Check our 68travel’s range of cotton face masks in stock.
