Be Careful How You Handle Your Face Masks

Chances are, it's a sight none of us saw before the beginning of April, so it's astonishing just how quickly face masks have become a regular part of our daily lives.

Take a look at the rearview mirrors of many cars here on the SouthCoast. Usually at this time of year, you'd see tassels hanging from college and high school graduates. Now, it's much more likely that you'd see a face mask hanging from the rearview mirror – but is that a good idea?

We asked Dr. Eliesel Lacerda De La Cruz, the Infectious Disease Chief at Southcoast Health, about his suggestions about how to handle the masks.

"The potential that you have when you (hang the masks on the rearview mirror) is that you will touch the front of the mask which is the side that could be contaminated with the viruses," he said. "Then, if you grab it, you don't wash your hands, then put that contaminated hand right to your eyes or nose and contract the virus that way."

Dr. Lacerda De La Cruz suggested that after wearing the masks out in public for a period of time, we need to treat them as if the outside of the mask has the virus sitting on it.

"Those fabric masks can be easily washed, and you should (wash them)," he said.

It made me wonder about how often I am washing the masks that we are wearing. I hate to say it, but considering what the doctor told us this morning, I think I'm not washing them enough.

Dr. Lacerda De La Cruz also had a pretty cut-and-dry opinion about indoor restaurant dining which is coming soon to Rhode Island. Listen to the audio above for more.