The use of the mask has become in recent months an important topic of discussion between those who defend it as a measure to contain the contagion of the coronavirus and those who advise against them based on pseudoscientific arguments , influenced by denial movements and by the documentary published in several social media platforms, Plandemic .
The position most defended by science is to use it in areas of community transmission of COVID-19 , as it helps to prevent the disease from spreading, especially in those places where it is very difficult to maintain a safe distance meters and a half or two meters such as shops, public transport and the same street in the big cities. In fact, at present, in Spain its use is mandatory regardless of whether the safety distance can be maintained according to the regulations of each Autonomous Community . It is exempted from its use to people with illness or respiratory difficulty, people with disabilities or dependency who do not have autonomy to remove the mask or have behavioral alterations that make its use unviable, cause of force majeure or situation of need and activities with the that is incompatible. Failure to comply with the obligation is considered a minor offense and is sanctioned with a fine of up to € 100.
It is important to bear in mind that the use of a mask alone does not fully protect against the coronavirus but that it must be included within a comprehensive strategy: maintain as much as possible a safety distance of five feet and two meters with other people and wash the hands thoroughly and frequently, either with soap and water or with hydroalcoholic gel. And another point, you have to use the mask (of whatever type) well: wash your hands before and after putting it on, hold it by the elastic bands, do not touch the front of the mask, avoid handling it and do not leave it removed on the neck or in the head .
Next, we review the myths about masks that are circulating on social networks and that, for now, have been shown to be false. Do not strain it!
