Healthy Indoors Magazine - USA Edition

HI September 2020

Healthy Indoors Magazine

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40 | September 2020 masks should have more than one layer of fabric. The World Health Organiza- tion advises three layers, as the multiple layers block most respiratory droplets. Here are some mask-wearing do's and don'ts excerpted from this Washington Post article: "How to help children adjust to masks, according to experts and parents." Mask-Wearing Do's and Don'ts • Do teach children to properly take face masks on and off by touching ear loops, not the front of the mask. • Do have children clean their hands using soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after handling their mask. • Do have children remove masks to eat, drink and nap. • Do have extra face masks on hand. "Children should always have a clean backup mask handy in their desk or backpack at school. They should be taught never to share or trade masks with other children at school," says Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious diseases physi- cian at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. • Do clearly label your child's mask with their name and make sure they can easily tell which side is the front. • Do launder or wash masks with soap and water after each use. • Don't worry that masks impact your child's oxygen levels. "There is no truth to that whatsoever. Kids can absolutely wear masks for long periods of time," explains Ghassan N. Atiyeh, a pediatrician with Children's Medical Asso- ciates in Northern Virginia. • Don't make children wear a mask in their own home or in the car as long as they're only with peo- ple from their household. But Rajapakse says physical distanc- ing is still recommended while wearing a mask: "Since no single preventative measure provides 100 percent protection from exposure to or transmission of the virus, using a combination of strategies to reduce risk like physical distancing, wearing a mask and cleaning your hands frequently is the recommended approach." TELL CONGRESS: KEEP OUR FAMILIES HEALTHY & SAFE

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