Rose Hill Lane is declaring March to be Mask Madness Month and is committing to reinforcing the importance of wearing a mask to protect not only ourselves but those around us from the spread of COVID-19 and the emerging variants. Along with Mask Awareness we want to call attention to the proper methods of wearing a mask, and how the combination of hand sanitizer and social distancing are effective methods in keeping us healthy and protected. We hope that Mask Madness Month will inspire best practices to slow the spread of COVID-19. We all know that the elderly population is particularly vulnerable to the worst aspects of COVID-19 and we hope that with increased awareness and education, we can keep our cherished loved ones safe from harm.
A significant change in 2020 was the introduction of regular mask wearing in public. For those of us in a medical environment, masks are not new to us – but now they have been integrated into our daily lives. Masks have become an addition to the typical home departure routine – phone, keys, wallet, MASK – check!! And will continue to be in the foreseeable future. As a community, we need to continue wearing masks correctly whenever we leave our homes and enter the public space and especially when we encounter others. For the sake of those who are extremely vulnerable to COVID-19, Rose Hill Lane asks everyone to be extremely diligent and to wear a mask when you are in close contact with the elderly people in your lives – not only in March, but for as long as it takes.
Fact – face masks reduce transmission when worn properly; proper adornment of a mask includes covering your nose, mouth, and chin with a snug fit against your face. Whenever a mask is pulled down below your mouth or is not fully covering your nose it leaves you potentially exposed and increases the risk of your contributing to the spread. Just remember nose, mouth, chin when wearing your mask. It is also important that you not touch your face while wearing your mask. If you do, immediately wash your hands or use a hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. Regular and frequent hand washing is best when you can do so. This also goes for removing your mask, wash your hands before and after, and dispose of your mask right away.
The best practice is to use all the above-noted guidelines in combination with each other. Wearing your mask properly when in public and using hand sanitizer (when a sink is unavailable) is the most effective way to protect yourself and reduce the spread. Based on your work or lifestyle, visors can be an added precaution.
Rose Hill Lane asks you to do your part to protect yourself and others by using masks unfailingly. We are hoping that our declaration of March Mask Madness Month is a one-time event and that by next March we are able to reduce some of these measures and see the smiles hiding behind these masks.