PROPER MASK PROTOCOLS
101
Alberta Health Services has recom- mended that people wear face masks. “The most common transmission is human-to-human, and that the most common human-to-human transmissions is droplets, so meaning droplets that come from your nose and your mouth fly- ing into someone else’s nose, eyes or mouth,” said Lizette Elumir,medical offi- cer of health for Alberta Health Services South Zone.“If two people are talking or spending time with each other and they’re distancing and they’re masking, then the chances of that droplet exchange is a lot less if there are barriers.” Face masks should covered your nose and mouth, from your chin to the bridge of your nose, and there should be no sizeable gaps at the sides. To avoid contamination when putting one on, Elumir said you should wash
BY NIKKI JAMIESON insight magazine
your hands,grab the mask by the loops — or what will hold it in place — and put it in place.Once in place, you can adjust it by the bottom or top, but never in the area that’s supposed to be the barrier.Taking it off is a similar process, first washing your hands and then removing it by the loops/ties before disposing of it and washing your hands. Elumir stressed you should not touch the bar- rier of the mask. “You don’t want to be touching the part that is the barrier,because the more you get that barrier wet or greasy or whatever, dirty, that’s what breaks down that barrier,so you want to preserve it as much as possible,”said Elumir.“If you used that mask, then it’s possible that there’s droplets on that mask, and so if you start touching it or
SALUTE TO OUR
HOMETOWN Heroes
Banga’s Equipment Canada Ltd is located in Taber, AB, The heart of the Southern Alberta irrigation area.
We offer Agricultural equipment to our customers from premium North-American and European suppliers
If you are looking for new or used equipment, Banga’s Equipment will likely have something that suits your needs
Please contact us at
(403) 223-5969 Or stop by at our store in Taber
STRUGGLING WITH LOOSE LOWER DENTURES?
We have the solutions!
Call Us TODAY for your FREE consultation.
rubbing it, then you are getting it on your hands.” “That barrier is the barrier for a reason; that’s where all the inception could
be,so don’t touch it. Ever.” For the disposable or paper masks, Elumir says they don’t recommend
reusing them after you’ve worn
them.However, for situations like having to use one for a few minutes and then take it off for something, like getting a drink or eating a meal, you can reuse it. But as they break down over time, they recom- mend changing them throughout the day, such as after a few hours of use or if it gets dirty. “If you haven’t used it for very long and you want to have lunch,we suggest putting it in a bag, that would help it breath and dry. For example a paper bag, do the whole washing of the hands before and afterwards,and then you can put it back on.But that would be the only circumstance where you can reuse it.” Elumir also cautioned that even if you only used it after a few minutes, it
could have still have droplets on it and be infectious. Cloth masks, on the other hand, can be laundered after you’ve used them, although Elumir cautioned that those too break down over time after repeated uses.When cleaning them, it is recommended you wash and dry them on the hottest and strongest cycles to ensure that it kills everything on them. In addition to face masks being available in stores,Health Canada has pat- terns for making homemade face masks. Elumir says if you are making them, four layers is optimal, as “the more layers you have,the more protective it is”, and you use cloth that can withstand a lot of washing with a high thread count. It is also recommended you use different colours for each side of your mask, so you know what side goes inside and which goes outside, so if you take it off and put it back on, you don’t forget which side is the contaminated side. Ultimately, face masks are another tool people can utilize to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Masks are another tool in addition to our distanc-
ing,washing our hands, staying home when you’re sick, all of those things in combination can help try to
contain this pandemic,”said Elumir.“Not one tool is 100 per cent,so the more told you put together, it makes it more protective.”
14 - insight magazine september 2020
403-223-8855www
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24
