A new study claims that a face mask mistake can make a person more likely to get infected with COVID-19.

Amid the coronavirus, people across the world learned more about wearing protective face masks and its value in preventing the virus's spread. According to Yahoo Style, one study found that a common mask mistake can harm a person and be infected with the deadly virus. 

COVID-19: This Face Mask Mistake Can Make You Sick Instead, Study Claims
(Photo : Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
London Mayor Says City May Soon Move To Tier-2 Covid-19 Regulations LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 13: A woman wearing a face mask walks near Regent Street on October 13, 2020 in London, England. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said today that the city would move into Tier 2 of the government's new Covid-19 risk classification once it hits 100 new daily cases per 100,000 people, which could happen this week. The second or "high" tier of the three-tier system triggers a ban on household mixing, although pubs would remain open.

As per the study, face masks should be considered contaminated through each use. This month, BMJ Open published a study found that masks are most useful to protect us against viral infections such as seasonal coronaviruses, flu, and rhinoviruses (common cold viruses) if they are washed daily after use. 

The temperature at which face masks are laundered is also crucial, researchers also concluded. They cited that people should wash masks at a high temperature to ensure decontamination.

Professor Raina MacIntyre, who conducted the study, explained in an accompanying press release, that both surgical masks and cloth face masks should be considered "contaminated" after use.

Unlike surgical masks that are disposed of after use, cloth masks are used for several times. While it could be tempting to use the same cloth mask for multiple days in a row or giving it a quick hand-wash or wipe-over, our research suggests that this increases the risk of contamination." 

The randomized trial is based on research conducted in 2015. The first research was before the term coronavirus became globally recognized. Still, the University of New South Wales researchers in Sydney analyzed the data because COVID-19 or the coronavirus should be the same as the previous study.  

Face masks made with cloth may be effective if washed daily

According to The Health Site, cloth face masks are often used for multiple days in a row. This exercise increases the risk of contamination, warns a study.  

 Preventive measures, including wearing a face mask, maintaining social distancing, and practicing hand hygiene, are crucial until a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available worldwide to avoid being exposed to the virus. The public is advised to wear cloth face masks instead of surgical masks, and the health care workers need N-95 respirators. 

A cloth mask can protect the spread of droplets released when a person talks, sneezes, or coughs. Perhaps, cloth face masks help stop infected people from spreading the coronavirus to others and slow down transmitting COVID-19. But cloth masks might only be effective in preventing viral infection if they are washed daily with hot water, researchers said. 

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