> No, because the outside of the mask is contaminated and now your fingers are contaminated.
My understanding is that that's a misunderstanding (one that I was under as well).
For people who aren't sick, the worry is that your hands get contaminated (much more common, from surface contact), and then you touch your mask and transfer to the mask, and eventually it works its way in since these aren't N95s.
i.e. it ends up being the same as hand-mouth contact, but people think the mask is keeping them safe from that.
My understanding is that that's a misunderstanding (one that I was under as well).
For people who aren't sick, the worry is that your hands get contaminated (much more common, from surface contact), and then you touch your mask and transfer to the mask, and eventually it works its way in since these aren't N95s.
i.e. it ends up being the same as hand-mouth contact, but people think the mask is keeping them safe from that.