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Retailers of disposable and washable masks have already noticed a growing demand last week. NEWSPAPER / ALEKSI TUOMOLA
The Department of Health and Welfare (THL) is expected to publish a mask recommendation in the near future, which is expected to increase the use of masks. In addition to security, many think about the cost of masks: how much per month should be set aside for the mask budget?
The prices of disposable masks revolve around the euro. For a working adult, a mask recommendation means several disposable masks for one day. If the business trip folds in public, one mask should be reserved in its direction.
The disposable mask can be worn for several hours at a time, as long as it is not removed from time to time. It is a good idea to change the mask at least when eating or if moisture accumulates under the mask due to breathing, which begins to interfere.
If the workplace is in a public place and protection is therefore necessary, six masks can be worn per day when business trips are included. If you still use public transport or go shopping on weekends, then with a simple example bill, you can wear well over a hundred euro masks a month.
An alternative to disposable masks are washable fabric masks, the prices of which vary according to the materials.
Used correctly, one mask can be used for several hours
Eeva Ruotsalainen, Deputy Chief Physician of Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District Hus, reminds us that the mask should only be put in place with clean hands and must be replaced every time it is removed for a moment.
A metal piece on the nose ensures a better fit.
– The face mask must not be placed under the chin and transferred back to the face. If the mask is removed for a while, it is thrown in the trash and replaced with a new one, says the assistant chief physician.
Washable fabric masks should also be reserved for more than one working day, as the instructions state that the mask must be washed in 90-degree water after each use or boiled for five minutes with detergent.
If conditions at the workplace do not require the use of a mask, a cloth mask used on a business trip can be put in a plastic bag for a day to wait for washing and a second clean mask can be booked for the trip home.
The disposable surgical mask protects both the user and those around him. The cloth mask prevents its user from spreading a possible virus to others.
– I actually have a surgical mouth-nenäsuojainta up to six consecutive hours without it is wet. So you can keep the mask even longer if there is no reason to take it off, says Ruotsalainen.
Demand increased as the debate intensified
Retailers of disposable and washable masks have already noticed a growing demand last week. Kesko, the S Group and Yliopiston Apteekki offer disposable masks in multi-piece packages, where the price of one mask revolves around one euro.
Retailers tell STT that there are currently enough masks and that preparations are being made for growing demand. From the beginning of the week, the masks were momentarily out of stock, including some Prisms and Citymarkets.
– Over the past week, sales tripled and yesterday (Monday) even increased tenfold, which means that some of the stores have run out of masks, said Harri Hovi, Kesko’s Director of Goods, on Tuesday.
However, both the S Group and Kesko have plenty of masks in warehouses, from which they try to get them on the shelves as quickly as possible.
The minimum size of disposable masks is 10 pieces and the largest is currently 50 pieces.
Husin Ruotsalainen welcomes THL’s possible recommendation, as the mask is one of three measures that will remain the responsibility of the citizen.
In Finland, the importance of the other two, namely good hand hygiene and keeping a safe distance, has already been emphasized, but no mask recommendation has been made.
– A face mask is especially important when safety gaps cannot be maintained, such as in public transport and other public spaces. Certainly Finns know how to use a mask when instructions are given, says Ruotsalainen.