CLEVELAND — Editor's Note: The video above previously aired on October 28, 2020.
Since the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, mask wearing has been a polarizing topic. Whether you're in a store or outdoors, officials continue to reiterate that proper mask wearing is one of the superior tactics to stop the spread of COVID-19.
In a recent social video posted to the Clinic's Facebook page, they compared not wearing your mask properly over you nose AND mouth to going outside half dressed.
And it's not just for the safety of others, it's for your protection too. In one of it's Health Essential series, the Cleveland Clinic answered the following question: Do face masks actually protect me, or just those around me?
According to Infectious disease specialist Kristin Englund, MD, the answer is both.
"Face masks act as barriers for respiratory droplets. Whether you’re coughing and the droplets catch in the inside of your own mask, or if you’re near to someone else coughing and their droplets hit the outside of your mask – it protects both people," explained Dr. Englund.
In the article, she goes on to explain that Respiratory droplet can be transmitted in numerous ways, including talking, singing, breathing heavily, laughing – you name it. She says the aforementioned fact is why it's important to wear a mask when you can't maintain social distance.
"Typically, a surgical mask will protect you more than a cloth mask because of the material it’s made from, but a cloth mask still offers great protection."