By now you’ve likely heard that the CDC advises all of us to wear a face mask when out in public. This recommendation comes not in place of hand washing or social distancing (at least 6 feet apart) but as an additional measure to help limit the spread of the virus, especially as we now know that those without any COVID-19 symptoms can nonetheless be infected and transmit the virus to other people. While this measure is intended to minimize the spread of the virus to others, it can also lower your own risk of getting sick. For some overall guidance on face mask etiquette, selection and fit, check out the advice from the CDC and take a look at this “user’s guide” from The New York Times. The key advice is that you should not wear a professional N95 mask or even a surgical mask (both of these are in short supply for professional health care workers) but instead, you should either make a mask or purchase one, and there’s lots of guidance on how to do both.

Whether you make or buy a mask, there are several key components that need to be in place in order for the mask to be effective. As recommended in this recent Consumer Reports article, the mask should have several layers, thus making it harder for virus particles to pass through the material, and you may want to include space between layers for a removable filter, such as a common coffee filter. The thicker and denser the material (while still allowing you to breathe) the better, and a snug, secure fit, with your chin as an anchor, is a must. An article from Quartz cited recent data that you can gain enhanced protection with your mask if you use some sheer pantyhose as a liner- so open your lingerie draw, and read more here.

The other important aspect of your mask is that it should be washable so that it’s reusable. Ideally, you should have several masks that you can rotate while dirty ones are being washed. The CDC has stated that regular machine washing should work to clean your mask and make it last for multiple uses. Both Consumer Reports and the CDC provide washing guidance and advice on making your own masks out of common clothing you already have in the house. Experts writing in The Conversation have good advice about fashioning your own mask, choosing the right fabric, and figuring out the filters. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams has a short video explanation of how to make your own mask. One other important piece of advice? It’s essential that you wash your hands both before putting on your mask as well as once you remove it to protect yourself and the mask from viral infection. Finally, if fogging up your glasses has become a problem while wearing your mask, you’re not alone- and there’s some useful advice as to how to prevent that.

If you decide to go the route of purchasing a mask, you’ll soon come to realize that masks have become a new fashion and branding statement, with entities even pasting their company logos on the outside of the mask. And if you want to do good and do well, you may want to consider purchasing a mask that provides a donation to a worthy cause. No matter which way you go, masks are likely to be with us, and on us, for the foreseeable future.