Face Masks 101

I am still ambivalent about the use of home-made face masks, but I must now wear one due to a recent additional State mandate regarding COVID-19 safety measures. My biggest problem with home-made face masks used by the general population is that there has been no widespread public education about the efficacy & proper use of face masks in order to confer the highest level of protection that they can afford; which is not as much as compared to proper hand hygiene (washing for 20 seconds) or physical distancing (minimum 6 feet). But you don't hear them say that when they say, "wear a face mask"; some people's behavior seems to change and they disregard the more effective methods putting everyone at higher risk. They also don't provide information on the best practices when wearing a face mask, i.e., what you need to do in order not to contaminate the face mask from the very start so that it will provide you with some protection. I have gathered the following information from this source and this source by people that know more than I do about how to properly use a home-made face mask so that it provides you with the most protection possible.

My 3 current masks.

I washed my face masks in the hottest water possible; this is the most reliable method that can be used in the home. I washed mine with a good environmentally-friendly detergent that does not have any fillers or whiteners that might leave a residue on the masks; I have found no guidance on this. It is just my personal preference, after all, it is going to be pressed right up against my face and I will have to breathe through it. You should be aware that the ability of your mask to filter out virus-laden particles is decreased by 20% by the 4th washing & drying cycle. So its a good idea to keep track of how many times you wash & dry your mask and have several new home-made masks always on hand. The SARS CoV-2 virus can live for several days on wet surfaces but dies when it dries out; I dried my masks at the hottest setting on our dryer. Putting your mask out in the sunlight is not a reliable method to disinfect it.

The hot water is fogging up the lens.

I store each mask in a new paper bag, not in plastic or other container that does not breathe; the mask must not be in an environment where moisture can build up. Before I grabbed a mask out of the dryer, I used hand sanitizer. I did this for each bag & mask. After all, that mask is what I am counting on to provide a minimal level of protection so I do not want to contaminate it even before I use it. I stored my masks in a designated place where they are protected from moisture.

Clean masks ready for use.

When I am ready to use a mask, I will either wash my hands with soap for 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer before I touch the mask; I do not want to contaminate the mask before I put it on. I grab the mask by the ear loops and put it in place, adjusting the nose clamp if it has one. (One of my masks does not.) If at a later time I need to adjust the mask or remove it, I should again either wash my hands with soap for 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer. Every time I touch the mask. This is very difficult to do even for professionals who are trained in the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE). But you don't know what your hands have picked up since the last time you sanitized them. And gloves don't help, unless you have used proper glove best practices. (Having sat & observed both hospital and nursing home practices for over 2 years I can tell you that means every time you go between activities you are using a new set of gloves. I have never seen anyone in the general public changing their gloves at all.)

If I am doing an activity that requires me to remove my mask while I am not at home, such as eating or drinking or going to the bank or an ATM, before I remove the mask from my face I sanitize my hands. I place the used mask back in to the bag I removed it from and secure the bag. Once I am done with that activity, I use a new mask. That's right, a new mask; I do not know whether the other mask was contaminated. When I removed it I increased the chances of contamination moving to the inside of the mask. Hence, new mask that I know is clean. If I have to use a mask, I am going to do it properly to maximize its ability to provide some level of protection.

When I get home, all used masks will either go directly in to the wash (they can be washed with other laundry) or they will be isolated until they can be washed. Rinse. Repeat.

Using a mask is not a replacement for proper hand hygiene or physical distancing; both of these are higher on the Hierarchy of Control for reducing the spread of pathogens. Masks and other PPEs are the lowest (least effective) method of stopping the spread of pathogens. Do not become complacent and act like so many people I have seen who are wearing masks but disregarding proper hand hygiene and distancing. The most common thing I see people doing that makes the mask less effective is touching the mask or their face without sanitizing their hands. Don't be that person!

Here is a list of the best practices for using a face mask from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health:

1. Wash your hands with soap and water before you put on the mask.
2. If your mask has ties, secure the bottom ties first with a bow around the nape of your neck. Then pull the mask by the upper ties over your mouth and chin and secure around your head.
3. Wash your hands every time you touch your mask during the day! (Yes, every time.)
4. Wash your mask every time you remove it and wash your hands with soap and water after removing the mask. Put the mask somewhere isolated until it can be washed.
5. Assume that there could be virus on both sides of the mask any time you touch it.
6. Wear a clean mask each time you need to put one on.

By the way, the other reason I am ambivalent about the use of "face" masks is that when they tell you, "Wear a face mask", that mask doesn't really cover your whole face. They don't tell you that SARS CoV-2 can enter your body through the mucous membranes of your eyes. So even if the "face" masks keeps you from inhaling a virus-laden particle, if other virus-laden particles contact the wet part of your eye, you can be infected. That is why when you see medical professionals and first responders wearing PPE they always have some sort of eye protection.

I find knowing about biology and where to find more information is comforting, even though the information might tell me that I am not as safe as I thought I was. It comforts me because I now have the knowledge to either do something about it or to weigh the risks and decide not to do anything about it. I think the Johns Hopkins article sums up how I feel about this the best, "If you choose to wear a mask, do not assume you won’t get sick. Continue to practice social isolation (elimination control) and hand hygiene (administrative controls) as much as possible."

As for the prolific use of hand sanitizer I noted above, I always have hand sanitizer with me; it is a habit I picked up after working in the field for 30 years. The "field" frequently had cattle pooping in the water upstream or a healthy population of mammals that frequently carry Giardia sp. parasites living in it. Sanitizing my hands became a habit. So I always have a big bottle of hand sanitizer in the house from which I fill my little field bottle. And last December a water main break in the neighborhood caused water to be shut off for about 1&1/2 days; I got a bottle of hand sanitizer with a pump for each bathroom. So we had probably 40 ounces of hand sanitizer in the house before people began hoarding it. I sure hope those people who bought all that hand sanitizer are using it properly!

I got up this morning a little later than I have been; this quarantine has been helping me get more sleep. Since I can't walk at sunrise I have been sleeping in. I went back to sleep and got up about an hour later.

Twenty-three minutes after sunrise.

Eighty-one minutes after sunrise; time to get up.

The Neighborhood Security Watch sent out a photo taken from a drone. It showed Liholiho Elementary School which is a block away from us. It was pretty cool.


This evening I completed the color swatches that I started yesterday. I started before dinner, took a dinner break to let the swatches dry, then completed the lifting test after dinner. I placed the swatches in the holder in a pattern similar to how they are arranged in my palette.

My first color swatch!

Drying the swatches before doing the lifting test.

Those cats! I heard a collar tag jingling down the hall way and noticed that the grate I had across the door to the study was askew; it looked like someone pushed their way in. I had seen a fat, dark tail disappear through the doorway and knew it was Luna. She wouldn't come out from under the bed when I called so I got a 3-foot long portion of a handle for a duster and swept it under the bed and out popped ... S'mores! I knew it wasn't her tail that I had seen so I swept under the bed again and this time Luna came out. Sort of. She went to one end of the bed and looked back under it towards me. I think she might have thought she was hiding because she didn't try anything else, just staying still. Problem was only her head was under the bed, the rest of her was fully visible. After I got her out of the room she acted like nothing happened, typical cat.

Someone got in ...

Who is that?

She thinks she's hiding.

I don't really care about going in that room.

Who's out there?

There were 2 new COVID-19 cases today, bringing the total of known cases up to 586; there were also 2 more deaths for a total of 12. Currently, we are tied with Montana for having the fewest deaths per capita in the US. Although another person has now been hospitalized, our numbers are staying low at 56 total and the number of people released from isolation has increased to 74%. About 1.8% of the population has been tested; in order to start lifting restrictions that number will have to increase significantly. The stay-at-home order for the city has been extended until May 31st but there will be a limited reopening of parks; running, walking, or biking will be allowed but no group activities. More testing will be done and if there is a spike in new cases things may get shut down again.  

Hauʻoli lā Hānau e Grant!