[Rumor x Truth] Is it Okay to Wear a Mask Hanging on the Chin Because of Drinking Water or Feeling Stuffy?

Lee Nak-yeon, Chairman of the COVID-19 Disaster Safety Countermeasures Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Hong Nam-ki, Deputy Prime Minister for Economy, attended the COVID-19 response supplementary budget planning government-party consultation held at the National Assembly on the 2nd, removing their masks before the meeting started. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] Due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), wearing masks has become a daily routine for the public. However, people often pull their masks down to rest on their chins because they feel uncomfortable or want to drink water or smoke. Is this really okay?

To get straight to the point, pulling the mask down exposes you to bacteria more than taking the mask off completely. Typically, people hold the outer surface of the mask with their hands to pull it down onto their chin, but experts advise against touching the outer surface of the mask because it may be contaminated with viruses. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and our government have issued guidelines to 'avoid touching the mask as much as possible.'

Moreover, during the process of pulling the mask down and back up, the inner part of the mask that touches the mouth can also become contaminated. When the inner part of the mask touches the chin and neck areas that may have been exposed to bacteria or viruses, and then is raised back up, it comes into contact with the mouth again.

Rather than resting the mask on your chin, it is better to remove it completely depending on the situation. To minimize contamination, do not touch the outer surface of the mask with your hands; instead, hold the ear loops and place the mask on a clean piece of paper or tissue.

Also, caution is necessary when using and disposing of masks. Since the outer surface of the mask may be contaminated with bacteria, as experts emphasize, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety recommends removing the mask by the ear loops and folding it from the inside out before disposal, so that your hands do not touch the outer surface.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.