I have been shielding for 6 months during the COVID outbreak because of my health conditions but I’m not the only one. About 2.2 million vulnerable people like myself have been shielding in the UK during this terrible pandemic. Now that life is starting to return to normal people are starting to come out of their homes and do some of the things they were doing before lockdown started. 

However things are not back to the way they were because we now have to do things differently to make sure that everyone is safe, such as wearing face masks and social distancing. This is particularly important for me with my Chronic Lung Disease and other respiratory issues. I desperately want to come out of lockdown but I do worry and my anxiety has gone through the roof. And again, I am not alone. 

Whenever I’m about to head out for the day I always put my face mask on. It doesn’t really bother me when I’m wearing my face mask because I know it protects me from COVID19. When I do put one on it can feel stuffy and I find hard to breath and I would probably be exempt due to my breathing difficulties,  but I still choose to wear one because it protects me AND other people. 

When I see some of the public not wearing face masks, it makes me feel more anxious because I know I am more susceptible to catching it. I understand some people are exempt and it can be uncomfortable wearing them, but I think that it is more important to care about other people’s health. 

Now that wearing masks is a standard part of life there has been more research and guidance about what kind of masks work best and how you can wear them so they are most effective.

Here are my top tips: 

• When wearing your masks make sure that they cover your nose and mouth while allowing you to breathe comfortably 
• It should fit comfortably but securely against the side of the face 
• It should be secured to the head with ties or ear loops 
• It needs to be made of a material that you find to be comfortable and breathable, such as cotton 
• It should ideally include at least two layers of fabric (the World Health Organisation recommends three depending on the fabric used) 
• Unless disposable, it should be able to be washed with other items of laundry according to fabric washing instructions and dried without causing the face covering to be damaged 

Because everyone now is wearing masks there are more of them in the world, which unfortunately means they has become a source of litter which has an impact on wildlife and infection control. Here are my top tips on how to properly dispose of your face mask. 

• Do not touch the front of the face covering, or the part of the face covering that has been in contact with your mouth and nose. 
• Once removed, store reusable face coverings in a plastic bag until you have an opportunity to wash them. If the face covering is single use, dispose of it in a residual waste bin. Do not put them in a recycling bin. 
• Make sure you clean any surfaces the face covering has touched using normal household cleaning products. If eating in a café, for example, it is important that you do not place the face covering on the table. 
• Wash your face covering regularly and follow the washing instructions for the fabric. You can use your normal detergent. You can wash and dry it with other laundry. You must throw away your face covering if it is damaged. 
• If throwing a disposable mask away try to remove the strings off it because it can get tangled in birds legs if they pick it out of a bin. 

Read Jordan's blog at www.jordannstory.home.blog