The co-founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, announced on Sunday that the company had donated its emergency reserve of 720,000 masks to health care workers so that they could be better protected. Some hospitals are already reporting or suffering shortages while treating coronavirus patients.
Zuckerberg wrote in a post:
To help, Facebook donated our emergency reserve of 720,000 masks that we had bought in case the wildfires continued.
Zuckerberg also added that the social media company is working on “sourcing a lot more to donate.”
Since the coronavirus outbreak hit the U.S., the demand for respirator masks has skyrocketed. Over the next 18 months, the HHS (Department of Health and Human Services) plans to buy 500M masks for the Strategic National Stockpile, which is the nation’s supply of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.
According to the SFDPH (San Francisco Department of Public Health), these are step-by-step instructions on how to take on and off your face mask properly:
How To Put On Your Face Mask
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or hand sanitizer before you touch the mask.
- Remove a mask from the pouch or box and make sure there’s no holes or tears on it.
- Determine which side is up and which is down. The part of the mask that has a stiff bendable edge is the top and is meant to mold around your nose.
- Hold the mask to your face and either pull the loops around each ear or tie it behind your head, depending on the type of mask you are using.
- Mold the stiff edge around your nose, so there is no opening.
- Pull the bottom part of the mask over your mouth and chin.
How To Remove Your Face Mask
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or sanitizer before touching your mask. Don’t touch the front of your mask, as it may be contaminated.
- Only touch the ties, band, or ear loops. Pull the mask away from your face carefully and throw it away.
- Wash your hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer.
Finally, disposable face masks should be only worn once and then thrown away in the trash, while reusable masks should also be used once, then washed immediately before using it again. Also, if your mask becomes moist, you should remove it and replace it with a new mask.
