By Illona Meyer
We wanted the ‘Roaring 20s’, but, alas, 2020 has kicked this decade off not with a bang but a whimper. COVID-19 is here to stay, at least for now, and we have to protect ourselves by wearing face masks and keeping our distance from our fellow man, insofar as far as possible.
To Mask or Not to Mask?
What is the deal with face masks? Are they necessary? Do they work? Should you wear one? The short answer: YES, YES, and YES. The slightly longer answer, from the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization, is that masks should be worn in public settings—especially in spaces where social distancing is difficult (such as, for example, in a grocery store).
Earlier during the pandemic, the CDC and WHO were actually advising the public ‘not to wear masks’, which is a stance the anti-mask-wearing brigade is still purporting. However, this advice was based on the fact that, many months ago, the infection and transmission rates were much lower than they are now and health organizations were attempting to dissuade people from panic-buying medical masks, thus making these unavailable to the healthcare workers who desperately need them.
Now, these health organizations—as well as all respectable doctors and infectious disease specialists—are advising that, with the COVID cases being as high as they are, and there being many, many suppliers manufacturing cloth face masks (see our top picks below!), all citizens (barring those with severe breathing problems) should wear a face mask when in public.
The reality of the rate of infection now is that we cannot know who (or how many people!) that we come into contact with may be infected. A number of people who do get infected and test positive are and remain asymptomatic, so neither they nor you might even know that they pose a COVID-risk to you. Moreover, the risk of transmission is not limited solely to an infected person coughing on or near you, an experiment using high-speed video found that hundreds of micro-droplets are released into the air by the utterance of a single sentence. This is where wearing a mask will protect and prevent you from inhaling or releasing any COVID-containing droplets: the experiment found that nearly all of these droplets were blocked when the mouth was covered with a damp washcloth.
How to Mask
When it comes to masking up, remember these dos and don’ts:
- do make sure the mask sits snuggly on your face and covers your mouth and your nose;
- do not leave your mask resting on your chin if for some reason you need to remove it while in public—it can still gather virus particles while on your chin, which you are then transferring directly to your mouth and nose when you pull your mask back up;
- do wash your masks after each wear in public, so have a few in rotation;
- do not chew extra-strength mint gum while wearing a mask, trust us on this one; and
- do have fun with it—designers are making magnificent, modish masks for you to mask up in style.
Marvelous Africa-inspired Masks
Here are a few of our favorite mask-makers:
First up is DIOP, featuring wax prints inspired by co-founder Mapete Diop’s native Nigeria. Diop is a first-generation American and not only are his masks inspired by his African heritage, the purchase of a DIOP mask sees a donation towards frontline workers in Detroit, the brand’s home base.
Next up is New York-based inclusive women’s ready-to-wear and bridal brand Saint Olá by designer Jummy Thomas, who has added distinctive, luxurious masks to her line.
Last but certainly not least is proudly black-owned, woman-owned, queer-owned, and gender-free clothing brand Stuzo Clothing, which recently added fun, funky and functional masks to its collection.
Honorable mention: Dlala Nje. This Johannesburg-based organization aims to challenge perceptions of, and create opportunities in, the inner city of South Africa’s biggest metropolis. To further their community programs, Dlala Nje has an online shop featuring some stunning South African clothing and accessories, including, more recently, face masks.
Remember, mask up before you head out!
