BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — With political leaders now suggesting people wear face masks anytime they're out in public, health experts are working to educate us on how to wear and remove them properly.
"I'm passionate about people knowing how to protect themselves," said Paula Lynch-Richie, a nurse at South Shore Health. She told WBZ NewsRadio the first step to properly donning a mask is to "wash your hands with soap and water, or use a hand sanitizer."
"Second, we want you to handle your mask by the tie, straps, or ear loops, not the face mask itself," said Lynch-Richie.
Step three is to "place the mask so its covering your nose and mouth. Then when it's on comfortably, wash your hands again."
To safely remove the face mask, Lynch-Richie said first make sure your hands are clean again. She said it's especially important to only touch the ties or ear loops during removal, and not to touch the face mask itself because that is "the most contaminated or dirty part" of the mask.
"Im going to take it off, and then the last step of course, wash my hands again," said Lynch-Richie.
WBZ NewsRadio's Chris Fama (@CFamaWBZ) reports:
(Photo: Getty Images)
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App