Wearing a mask is an additional step one should take to stay safe against COVID-19: Bahrain

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain health experts continue to remind the public during this Holy Month of Ramadan to still wear masks, practise social distancing, among other important precautionary measures, even after getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Just because they have been vaccinated, they pointed out, it does not mean they can abandon all the instructions and guidelines issued by the National Medical Taskforce to Combat Coronavirus and the concerned authorities.

Those fundamentals include: wearing a face mask when heading out in public, observing social distancing, limiting family gatherings, avoiding large crowds, and getting vaccinated, as well as washing hands frequently.

 Besides, the protective effect of a vaccine may take at least one month, if not slightly longer, according to health experts.

Therefore, for the foreseeable future, the Kingdom will really need to continue its mitigation measures, including wearing masks.

Properly wearing a mask can help keep the people safe while navigating the pandemic.

While one should continue to wash hands, cover your coughs and sneezes, avoid touching face and follow social distancing rules, wearing a mask is an additional step one should also take to stay safe.

The most common way COVID-19 spreads is through person-to-person contact.

 When an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, they produce respiratory droplets that can travel about six feet and can land in the mouths or noses of those nearby.

 COVID-19 can also be spread by people who don’t know they have the virus since they aren’t experiencing any symptoms.

Because of this, health professionals recommend face coverings to help slow the spread of the virus. In these circumstances, a mask can add an extra layer of protection.

While wearing a mask may not keep you from getting COVID-19, it can help lower the odds.

 If you’re sick, a mask can help keep your germs from infecting others.

If you’re healthy, a mask can help keep respiratory droplets from someone who is sick from landing in your nose and mouth.

While we can’t quantify how effective it is to wear a mask, we do know it offers some protection while not wearing one offers none.

 In short, we are all at the lowest risk when everyone wears a mask and remember, social distancing and hand washing are still very important safety precautions too that everyone should follow.

Studies show that even a distance of three feet significantly decreases the spread of the coronavirus from one person to another.

At six feet, the risk decreases even further, at nine feet even further than that, and so on, particularly in an indoor setting.

Scientific though the evidence is clear: The prescribed protective measures help prevent people from spreading COVID-19, and from being infected themselves.