With total Covid-19 cases in the United States hitting 5,382,125 as of August 18, 2002 and deaths numbering 169,350, according to the CDC, the urgency to institute mask protocols has become a public health battle across the country.
Wearing masks in public correctly could help flatten to the curve, but ensuring you always have a mask is the harder part. Still a relatively new protocol, it’s easy to forget a mask when racing out the door. That’s where the mask lanyard comes in.
Growing in popularity, people are finding that attaching a mask to a lanyard, and wearing it much like a pair of Croakies on sunglasses, makes it easy to always have one at the ready. This hands-free approach keeps it handy at all times while also helping encourage good health habits. Those aren’t the only selling point though. Here are three things you should know about mask lanyards for adults.
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Lanyards help you remember your mask
According to Health.com, at least one doctor is on board with the mask lanyards. "It's a good idea for people who seem to lose their masks when they're out running errands or exercising, and it would definitely be a convenient way for them to keep them on hand at all times," Nabeel Chaudhary, M.D., a board-certified internal medicine and primary care physician at Manhattan Gastroenterology tells the website. -
Lanyards prevent face touching
Some experts believe that lanyards can help people avoid touching their faces, something the CDC has warned against as a means to prevent virus spread. Speaking to the Today Show, Kimberly Schwenk MSN, RN, VP & Chief Nursing Officer at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore said that lanyards “limit how much you touch the outside of your mask (which can reduce the risk of contaminating your mask or your hands).” -
Lanyards can be fashion statements
We’ve already seen people across the world embrace the fashion element of masks, crafting them in all kinds of patterns and colors, statements and designs. Naturally, this same creative spirit is now taking over the mask lanyard look. From Travel + Leisure to CNN, trend spotters are reporting on this developing fad. With a vaccine not predicted to be ready for months, possibly years, the lanyard trend will likely only grow in the coming months.
So how can you get in on the latest lanyard look? Here are a few suggestions that will help you improve your health safety while dressing up your mask:
Etsy is full of innovative vendors who have taken the concept of “necessity is the mother of invention” and channeled it into creative, purpose-driven items. This face mask chain is adorned in tiny colorful beads and easily attaches to elastic ear masks with circular metal hooks. The chain is 24 inches allowing the wearer to let the mask hang loose when not social distancing.
Don’t want to lose your lanyard? Put your name on it. With this Etsy vendor, you can write a message or your name along the cloth so that you won’t get it confused with other colleagues’ or family members’.
Some people are wearing bandanas as face masks, but one vendor has flipped the classic cloth look on its head and turned bandanas into the face mask lanyards themselves. Available in purple, yellow, orange, turquoise, and green, the cotton fabric provides comfort and an easy attachment with snaps that hook on to mask straps.
Lightweight Facemask Neck Hanger & Ear Saver with 2 Bulldog
Designed with medical professionals in mind, SpecialistID’s lanyard’s use Bulldog clips to secure masks and hang at a generous 36 inches. They’re available in six colors and ship within 24 hours.
Face Mask Lanyard / Hanger with Safety Breakaway Clasp
When you’re trying to avoid touching your face more than necessary, pulling a mask off from behind your head is the best option and that’s why this lanyard with a breakaway clasp is so convenient. Simply snap the strap open and you can easily pull the mask away from your body in one swift movement.
Adjustable Length Face Mask Lanyard
People are not one size fits all, and mask lanyards shouldn’t be either. Fortunately, SpecialistID has come up with a solution to make fitting a lanyard easy. Using an adjustable slider, the wearer can change the length of the lanyard to its most comfortable fit.
Lanyards aren’t going anywhere in the next few months as the world continues to fight the coronavirus. Make sure you’ve got one at the ready.