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
