Are There Two Sides To A Surgical Mask?
This hoax claiming that there are TWO SIDES to a surgical mask has been spreading across the Internet, on blogs, Facebook, and of course, WhatsApp.
Here is the hoax about how even doctors do not know how to properly wear a surgical/medical mask… grammatical mistakes and all.
While at the doctor's office today, we were informed by a Nurse the proper way to use a medical mask.
I didn’t know about this before. I thought it would be helpful to share Because I was using them wrong the entire time.
When using a medical mask you’re supposed to use as follows:
Colored side out if you’re sick and do not want to spread your germs around.
Whiteside out (this is the filter part) for when you’re not sick and you want to stop germs from getting in.
I always just assumed the color (blue) side went outward.
The Nurse said the entire doctor's office never knew either until the supplier sent them “proper directions” for them this past week!
Hope this helps!
Well, NO, it does not help. In fact, this hoax will probably result in a lot of people stupidly wearing their surgical masks the wrong way…
No, There Is Only ONE SIDE To A Surgical Mask
Surgical masks are colored on ONE SIDE to make it easy for medical staff to figure out which side FACES OUT.
Whether they are colored blue, green, or pink, the COLOURED SIDE is meant to face OUTWARDS.
If the mask you are using has no color, then it is NOT a 3-ply surgical mask – just a simple 2-ply face mask that is meant to maintain hygiene in a cleanroom or kitchen.
Medical experts say masks should always be worn colored-side-out
In the World Health Organizations' instructional video “When and how to wear medical masks to protect against coronavirus,” Dr. April Baller explains the inside of the mask “is usually the white side.
“The colored side of the mask is usually the front and should face away from you, while the white side touches your face,”
Disposable masks’ fluid-resistant layer should face outward
Mask Line GmbH, a leading medical mask producer, explains the importance of proper mask usage on its website. Medical masks are made to be fluid resistant, with the waterproof layer on the outside to “minimize the amount of fluid that could transfer from the outer layers through to the inner layers as the result of a splash or spray,” in accordance with the American Society of Testing and Materials standards