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CBC: Living with face masks–UM expert answers some questions

August 6, 2020 — 

As the CBC reports: 

Now that wearing a mask to the mall, to the hairdresser and to school will be a regular occurrence for the next two years or more, a lot of questions have arisen about how it will fit into our busy lives….

Can I hang a mask on my rearview mirror between uses?

Dr. Anand Kumar, a professor of medicine at the University of Manitoba, says that depends on the level of risk it’s been exposed to.

“As a physician, given the exposure I get in the hospital, I probably wouldn’t do it,” he says.

Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an associate professor at the University of Alberta’s Division of Infectious Diseases in Edmonton, has previously recommended against it, too.

But Kumar acknowledges that the risk of infection in most public places in Canada is currently low, and if you were wearing a mask in a low-risk environment, it’s probably OK to leave it hanging from the mirror overnight to wear the next day. That said, ideally you should change and wash your mask after each use.

Many more common questions are asked and answered by Dr. Kumar, so UM Today encourages you to read more

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