"As long as I wear a mask, I'll be fine"

You have joined the group of responsible citizens to wear a mask. You now possess the right to (politely) request others to also wear one. You might think that finally, you can roam around in the open, fearless and guilt-free.

Well… maybe. First of all, wearing a mask doesn’t mandate that merely donning it will work. It has to cover your nose and mouth. This is so that when you talk, sneeze, cough, or breathe, the droplets and vapors leaving your mouth get stuck on the mask and don’t travel too far. If you don’t wear a mask, these droplets and vapors -- potentially carrying the virus -- can evaporate in the air, leaving the virus behind. When the tiny virus floats around in the air without it being suspended in a larger droplet of water any longer, it is easily able to slip through others’ masks, now infecting them much easily!

This also means that you should wash your (reusable) mask regularly. Over time, since your mask is trapping the water droplets, it becomes humid, dampens the mask, and decreases its ability to shield infections from leaving and/or entering you. Note that this means that if your mask is getting humid, it’s working! Also try the candle test to find the efficacy of your face mask.

On the other hand, if you wear your mask below your nose, just covering your mouth, that isn’t too beneficial. You still have an open airway for the entry for the virus as well as an unfiltered exit for potentially infection-spreading droplets to escape. This wouldn’t help anyone. Lastly, if you wear your mask on your chin -- or for that matter anywhere not on your nose and mouth -- now that we’ve discussed how the virus spreads, think about how that would be helpful at all. If you agree with us, after learning so many important facts, that the mask should be worn by everyone on their nose and mouth, then consider applying that from today!

One common behavior seen in mask wearers is that because people believe that they are wearing a mask, they can ignore other safety measures. Remember, a mask will not keep an infected person physically away from you to decrease your chances of contracting the virus-- only social distancing will. Always remember that the health precautions given by CDC are exclusive of each other. You should do each one to remain as safe as you can by limiting the spread of virus carrying droplets in the air and on surfaces! Wearing a mask is only one of them, and it should not overshadow physical distancing, handwashing, and cleaning surfaces.

While it may seem unfair that some of your friends are throwing parties and having fun during a time when everyone is undergoing home isolation, have faith in the fact that you are doing the right thing by keeping yourself physically distanced, thus decreasing the chances that you will contract the virus and give it to people you care about. Maybe even tell your crush about your responsible actions when all of this is over, because you successfully proved that you can take care of those around you selflessly.