The Humble mask. Covid19 face saver

Flora Ezenwoye  

The New Normal Fashion Status: 
The Humble Face Mask 

 

With a bang, 2020 will go down in history as the year that everything is not as it seems anymore. An unprecedented earth shattering virus of asteroids proportion crashed down to earth. Covid19, we thought was meant to be an epidemic exclusive to Wuhan the capital city of Hubei Province in China.  But oh no!! While COVID-19 may be a mild illness to some, others may experience difficulty breathing,  pneumonia, and even respiratory failure and death. Worldwide, over fourteen million have tested positive to Covid 19 and 590 thousand recorded deaths. Older adults and those with underlying health conditions are most at risk  for serious covid19 illness and fatalities.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there were 33,841 deaths in the UK that listed Covid19 as the underlying cause of death in the months of March and April 2020. Covid19 has slowly and surely taken over the world, and I mean literally taken over country by country, land, sea and air.  Covid19 has brought life as we know it to a standstill.  So, while we’re still grappling with this new world order, be it pandemic or lockdown. The very breath of life and the vehicle of covid19 droplets needs urgent protection and to survive the new world differently, is the story of the humble ‘mask’. 

August 2020, we are just about exiting Covid19 lockdown and while the world leaders, experts, epidemiologists, virologists, school teachers, key workers and front-line staff grapple how to get the world out of lockdown, the most unlikely ally, 'The Mask'  awaiting a vaccine and/or treatment for the dreaded Covid19 has come to our aid. 

In medical circles surgical masks are widely used, same as on industrial sites, factories and petroleum rigs. Fashion walkways are not left out and it is a general form of disguise for illicit dalliances and entanglements.

 Anyway, Covid19 inspired masks is now the new normal and whilst some are happy to embrace public wearing of the mask it has become so contentious that laws and legislations are now being put in place to enforce and implement the wearing in public places.On the 24th July, it has become a civil offence to be seen without a mask in any English retail store. A new legislation is now in force to make masks mandatory to stem the risks of corona virus and non-compliance will attract a fine of up to £100. Enforcement and monitoring will be down to the police and shop staff to encourage this protective policy. They were made mandatory on public transport in England on the15th of June.

Britons have been among the slowest to embrace mass mask-wearing. Many European countries, including Germany, Spain, Italy and Greece, have already made it compulsory to wear face coverings inside shops. A YouGov poll found that 36% of people in the UK wear a face mask in public places, compared with 86% in Spain, 83% in Italy, 78% in France and 65% in Germany.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged members of the public in England to wear masks in shops as “extra insurance” against the corona virus. On a visit to the London ambulance service, he said: “The scientific evidence of face coverings, and the importance of stopping aerosol droplets; that’s been growing. So I do think that in shops it is very important to wear a face covering.” Donald Trump too has caved in, after much denial, and has been seen out in public wearing a protective face covering.

Medical practitioners and government advisers, recommend that everyone, sick or healthy, wear a cloth face mask in places where it can be hard to stay 6 feet away from others, like grocery stores, public transport, hospitals and communal areas. Studies show that people can spread corona virus even if they don’t have symptoms (called asymptomatic) or before they have symptoms (called presymptomatic). In fact, you might be the most contagious just before symptoms begin. Also, post symptomatic or perisymptomatic the mask is imperative as covid19 is proven to weaken sufferers’ immunity and make them more susceptible to covid re-infection or other morbidities.

Before you buy or make a mask, learn which type is best and how to wear it. When someone who has COVID-19 coughs, sneezes, or talks, they may send tiny droplets with the corona virus into the air. A face mask covers your mouth and nose. It can block the release of virus-filled droplets into the air when you cough or sneeze. This helps slow the spread of COVID-19.

Face coverings will also, to some extent, protect the wearer from inhaling covid particles, which are now thought to be air borne. A cloth face mask won't totally block the coronavirus. But it’s an added layer of protection for you and the people around you when you use it along with regular hand washing and social distancing measures like staying 6 feet away from others, isolating and following current government guidelines.

N95 respirators and surgical masks should be reserved for health care workers and first responders. Because there aren’t enough of these masks for everyone, it's important that they go to the doctors, nurses, and other medical staff who need them most. Cloth masks are recommended  people who don't work in health care. Here are some tips to keep in mind when making your own or looking for handmade masks:Try using a neck gaiter -- a piece of material tied in a loop -- made of stretchy synthetic fabric. Fold it into multiple layers if the material is thin. Breathable materials with holes, clean socks, handkerchiefs, kitchen towel, African prints or laces.You can also improvise by using a scarf, bandana, ipele or hijab, as long as the materials are clean,non-toxic and breathable.

Making Face Mask at home | No Sew Face Mask | Easy DIY Face Mask No Sewing:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6cMHNdt0Pc&t=33s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3D6dNKqUMg&t=118s