What is mask-wearing?

A mask is like a special shield you wear on your face to help keep germs from spreading when you're near other people.

Imagine you’re playing with your friend, and you both have a cold. When you sneeze or cough, tiny invisible germs float in the air. If you don’t have a mask, those germs can go into your friend’s nose or mouth, and then they might get sick too!

Mask-wearing is when you put on that shield, the mask, so it catches some of those germs before they fly away. It's like putting up a net between you and your friend to stop the germs from moving around.

Think about wearing a mask like putting on a cozy blanket over your face. When you talk, breathe, or cough, the mask helps trap some of the germs so they don’t go far, it's like having a little helper that catches germs for you!

Sometimes people wear masks in places where lots of people are together, like at school, the park, or on the bus. It’s one way to help everyone stay healthy and happy!