Do not wear masks for more than four hours – public health nurse

A FACE mask, whether made of cloth or disposable material ,should not be worn for more than four hours, after which it ceases to be effective in containing the spread of the coronavirus.

Senior Public Health Nurse Charmaine Vassell-Shettlewood drove home this point during Wednesday’s launch of the Ministry of Health & Wellness’ COVID-19 Youth Leaders Response Programme at The Source, Flowers Garden in Maverley, St Andrew, on Wednesday.

Care advice

For those who opt for reusable masks, these should be washed in soap and water, avoiding bleach, which could prove harsh on the skin, she warned. Thereafter, the mask may be ironed on both sides before being worn again.

This simple, effective measure is enough to clean the mask, according to Vassell-Shettlewood, who stressed the importance of avoiding harsh chemicals such as bleach.

“Don’t wash it in a washing machine because you would be washing it with other stuff, and you are trying to protect your respiratory system... . After four hours, you change your mask because you are breathing in what is on the inside of the mask, and after four hours, the mask will no longer be effective.

“And when you take off your mask, you must wash your hands, or sanitise or do both,” she further advised.