As a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic rips through the country, healthcare experts are encouraging the use of two face masks, a practice popularly called “double masking”. According to the experts, this will help in creating a stronger barrier against the deadly disease. Double masking, with cloth and surgical masks, can prevent leakage of air and fit the contours of the face better, studies by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found.

The government on Monday said it is time people start wearing masks inside their homes as well, and refrain from inviting guests.

Dr Sulaiman Ladhani, Pulmonologist, Masina Hospital tell Outlook, “If there is Covid positive case in the family, it is very important that the person wears a mask even indoors because the virus can spread to others in the home and this should ideally also be practised when we have visitors or household members who are not staying with us.”

He adds, “There is a 90 per cent risk of infection associated with two individuals not wearing a mask and not maintaining adequate social distancing. The risk gets reduced to 30 per cent if the unaffected person is wearing a mask.”

According to the US CDC, wearing double mask – cloth and surgical – reduces exposure to the Covid virus by nearly 95 per cent. It helps in preventing leakage of air and fit the contour of the face better.

Here are the dos and don’ts.

• Either a N95, surgical mask or well-fitting multi-layered cloth mask — no bandanas, no scarves, and definitely no masks with valves, because those valves are just one-way valves, so they protect the wearer but the stuff that they breathe out is not filtered, so if they were infectious it can affect the other person. Whether reusable or disposable, your mask should have two or three layers of fabric.
• A nose wire can help your mask stay in place. It also can prevent air from leaking out of the top of the mask and fogging up glasses
• Do secure the elastic bands around your ears.
• Do secure the ties at the middle of your head and base of your head.
• Perhaps keep the mask on for up to 30 minutes (especially if you are vulnerable) after you leave the sick person’s space, since it’s possible that aerosols will escape the room when the door is open and same applies to keeping it on for at least 30 minutes after visitors leave.
• Wash your hands before putting on your mask.
• Wear your mask over your nose and mouth and secure it under your chin.
• Fit your mask snugly against the sides of your face.
• Make sure you can breathe easily.
• When you take off your mask, handle it only by the ear loops or ties.
• Store your used mask safely to keep it clean between uses.
• Wash your cloth mask regularly
• Do remove your facemask touching ONLY straps or ties.
• After removing your mask clean your hands with 70% alcohol-based hand sanitizer or soap and water.