Do Face Coverings Also Protect Against the Flu?

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(Newswire.net — November 16, 2020) — As we enter the winter season, many are beginning to wonder whether or not face coverings can protect against the flu as well. With Covid lasting into 2021, masks have quickly become one of the most effective marketing and branding strategies across all industries. Business owners investing in wholesale face masks may rest assured knowing their PPE is helping protect the general public, while positively promoting the brand.

How Masks Help Against the Flu

According to the experts at Bagmsters, “Intended to provide additional protection against large, airborne moisture droplets, dust, debris, and other hazardous fluids, these disposable and reusable face masks can be personalized or branded for organizations who want to enhance safety and well-being.”

According to the CDC, by wearing masks, people with the flu can help reduce the risk of spreading germs onto the general public. As with Covid-19, the masks help reduce the flu spread by preventing the sick, or asymptomatic, from infecting the public and by protecting the healthy from the infected. To be effective, the masks are to be worn over the nose and mouth while out in the community.

A 2013 study on limiting seasonal influenza with masks determined that face coverings reduced the amount of virus droplets people sprayed in the air by three-fold. Researchers also found that the risk of spreading flu was even lower when the masks were used with proper hand-washing and hygiene.

Who Doesn’t Need a Mask

Although they’ve become the norm, it’s still important to understand when wearing a mask is not recommended. According to the CDC, children younger than two, people who have difficulty breathing and anyone unconscious, incapacitated or unable to remove the face covering without assistance should not be wearing a mask.

Proper Face Mask Hygiene

Following proper hygiene when using a mask is just as important as the face covering itself. In order to minimize the spread of germs from the hands to the respiratory system, wash your hands before wearing or removing the mask. When you have it on, you want to avoid touching the mask or your face as much as possible.

Try using the ear-loops to put the mask on, opposed to touching the actual face covering. Reusable masks should be sanitized often, either in the washing machine or by hand washing them. The CDC also advises that health-workers wear masks when treating patients with the flu. Patients exhibiting symptoms of a respiratory infection and those who are ill may be provided with a mask while in a healthcare setting.

Anyone with the flu should be wearing a mask around other people. According to the CDC, anytime you are within six feet of someone, especially indoors, you should be wearing a mask. For the most part, when we’re outside our homes and in the general public, we should all be wearing masks to reduce the risk of flu spread.

With the oncoming flu season, expect face coverings to become even more commonplace throughout the world. Between the seasonal influenza and Covid-19, marketing branded masks may become the new norm beyond 2021.