Coronavirus Face Masks & Protection FAQs

The CDC continues to monitor the spread of COVID-19 and makes recommendations for wearing face face masks, both for those who are fully vaccinated as well as those who are not fully vaccinated.


The CDC also recommends that masks and physical distancing are required when going to the doctor’s office, hospitals or long-term care facilities, including all Johns Hopkins hospitals, care centers and offices.






Can wear a face mask prevent coronavirus from spreading?


Yes. Although being fully vaccinated greatly reduces your chance of catching or spreading the coronavirus, it doesn’t eliminate it entirely. If you are infected with the coronavirus and do not know it, a protective face mask is very good at keeping your respiratory droplets and particles from infecting others. If you haven’t yet received your COVID-19 vaccine, wearing a mask can also help prevent germs that come from another person’s respiratory droplets from getting into your nose and mouth.


Since the coronavirus can spread through droplets and particles released into the air by speaking, singing, coughing or sneezing, medical face masks are still a good idea in crowded indoor public places that contain a mixture of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.


Wearing a mask is still recommended in health care settings and other places where people around you may have risk factors for severe consequences of COVID-19. These include people over age 65 and those living with heart disease, diabetes, obesity, chronic lung disease, immunity problems or cancer.






Do I need to wear a face mask if I currently have COVID-19?


Yes. If you are actively infected with the coronavirus and cannot stay completely away from others in your home, droplets from your nose or mouth could infect another person who has not been vaccinated yet or who has a weakened immune system. Stay away from others as much as possible and wear your disposable face mask around others until your doctor says it’s safe to discontinue wearing it.






Medical gauze is a type of thin medical fabric with a loose open weave used in wound care. Both gauze pads and gauze sponges are made of 100% cotton. They wick vertically to draw exudates out of wounds and are stronger than other types of dressings due to their longer fibers. Our gauze is offered in both sterile and non-sterile forms. For open wounds, it is recommended to use sterile gauze only.






Do I need to bandage a cut or scrape?


You do not need to bandage every cut and scrape. Some heal more quickly when left uncovered to stay dry. But if the cut is on a part of the body that might get dirty or rub against clothes, put on a bandage to protect it. Change the bandage every day or whenever it gets wet or dirty.






Pure absorbent cotton wool has many uses in personal care and medical care. Pure cotton wool is used in a wide variety of nonwovens, such as baby and adult diapers, incontinence products, feminine hygiene pads, disinfection and disinfection wipes. Cotton wool balls are also household items and have a variety of uses, such as cleaning wounds and using skin care products. In health care, you'll see a wide range of applications for pure cotton, including dressings, bandages, and fillers. Cotton wool is also the basic fiber of choice for patients and medical staff in robes, curtains, gloves, masks, tooth rolls, and balls. Cotton wool can be used in all of these products, whether 100% cotton, cotton mixed with other fibers, or fabric composites.






The use of nonwovens in the medical arena goes back to the time of Second World War when need for new and large volumes of the medical products had arisen. In several reports published, nonwovens were regarded as the most effective materials for bacterial barriers. They were also found superior to linens in the reduction of air-borne contamination.


After significant development of non woven products, they were designed in a way to suit the medical needs and give a performance much better than their woven counterparts in terms of cost, effectiveness, disability, etc. In hospitals, cross-contamination is always one of the biggest problems which were attributed largely to re-using of woven gowns, masks and other similar articles which would get contaminated and potentially spread the germs. The advent of nonwovens facilitated the development of a more cost effective alternative that was disposable and reduced the problem of cross-contamination greatly.






Preparedness is a key element of first aid. While every home, auto, and boat should be equipped with a basic emergency kit that includes first aid supplies and a first aid manual, special circumstances may necessitate more advanced or specific degrees of preparation for an emergency.


For example, residents of certain geographic areas where natural disasters (such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, floods, landslides, or tsunamis) may occur should prepare for emergencies by assembling disaster preparedness kits such as earthquake kits, flood kits, and evacuation kits.


Travelers should also prepare to administer first aid in the region they plan to visit. In many developed countries, this may amount to packing standard first aid kits and manuals with your belongings.


Medicines to prevent motion sickness and advanced awareness about the management of traveler's diarrhea are also helpful to travelers.






There are lots of types of wound care dressing, with hundreds of brands offering a range of products – some highly similar to each other. The most basic requirements for a dressing are that it protects against further damage or infection and that it promotes a good healing environment. A good healing environment is one with the right amount of moisture – dry wounds don’t heal as well as moist wounds, but wounds that are too wet can cause skin breakdown around the wound and prevent healing. The absorbency of the dressing, therefore, needs to be chosen based on the assessment of each individual wound.