CHECK Berlin / Brandenburg #5

CORONA
ENGLISH
THE MASK TASK
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF
WEARING MASKS EVERY DAY
We all need to wear FFP2 masks in public spaces - and let‘s be honest, nobody is a big
fan of them! The mask bothers and restricts in many ways: lip reading, perceiving a
friendly smile, understanding spoken words perfectly. Yet the mask requirement is also
a vital means of protection.
FFP stands for ”Filtering Face Piece“. They
belong to the product category ”Personal
Protective Equipment“. The number 2 behind it
stands for the filter performance for particles,
droplets and aerosols. According to the RKI
(Robert Koch Institute), ”the protective effect of
an FFP2 mask against the SARS-CoV-2 virus is
preferred because of its proven higher filtration
performance of potentially virus-containing
aerosols and because of its better tight fit.“ It
offers - very importantly - both external and
internal protection.
MASKS REDUCE THE RISK OF
INFECTION
According to the medical journal Ärzteblatt,
wearing an FFP2 mask reduces the
risk of infection to approx. 3.1%! But it is at
least as important to keep the minimum
distance. At a distance of more than one
meter, the risk of infection is also reduced
to around 2.6%. ATTENTION: Having a
beard will affect the level of protection!
TIPS FOR EVERYDAY LIFE
Wearing a mask not only affects communication.
Your skin and the respiratory tract can
also suffer from long-term wear of masks. Here
are some recommendations if you experience
problems with them.
Good ventilation, smoke less, drink water
or tea regularly
Due to the perceived lack of air, many people
now breathe more through the mouth. This
can dry out the mucous membranes and make
them more susceptible to viruses! You also
often have to speak louder, which “makes your
tongue stick to your palate” at some point,
especially in the cooler months of the year
when the air humidity is low. Therefore we
advise you to ensure good ventilation of rooms.
If possible, don’t smoke. If you do, in any case
smoke less and drink water or tea regularly.
Like a day by the sea
You can treat dry mucous by inhaling an
isotonic saline solution. Boil a liter of water for
two minutes to kill possible germs and bacteria
and dissolve about 9 grams of table or sea salt
in it. This gives you a 0.9% saline solution. By
inhaling the steam over a pot or with an inhaler,
comparatively larger droplets are generated
that only get into the upper respiratory tract,
but still moisten the mucous membranes and
bronchi very well! If you do this regularly 1-2
times a day for 5 minutes, you’ll benefit from
the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect
of the salt. This strengthens both the respirato-
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CHECK BERLIN/BRANDENBURG #5