A senior scholar and infectious disease expert at the john Hopkins center, Dr. Amesh Adalja said Face mask can help protect against many respiratory infections that spread through the droplet routes and that also include coronavirus and flu. These illnesses can spread through respiratory droplets generated by breathing, sneezing, coughing, etc., as well as contact (direct contact with an infected subject or indirect contact, trough hand-mediated transfer of the virus from contaminated fomites to the mouth, nose, or eyes). If you wear face mask you can prevent those droplets hitting your face or mouth before they drop to the ground.
Doctors are usually trained to use these masks properly, and the generally public is not. When face mask is not placed correctly, they will not protect you from getting sick. Achieving Adequate seal is necessary says the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Wearing a Face mask can also be uncomfortable and exhausting to use over hours, and they are not designed to wore eight hours a day and also if your mask does not fit you properly you may end up touching your face more than if you are not wearing one at all.
Does the type face mask make a difference?
N95 respirators which is much thicker than a surgical mask tends to be the most effective and as the name indicates, the mask is designed to block 95% of very small particles. Some N95 masks have valves that make them easier to breathe through. With this type of mask, unfiltered air is released when the wearer exhales, while N99 mask filter out more particles they can be very difficult to breathe in, neither should be used for extended periods of time.
K95 Respirators can filter up to 95% of particles greater than 0.3 microns. Features an elastic strap to secure mask. KN95 masks are very similar to N95 masks. Both capture about 95% of tiny particles in the air. The biggest difference is that N95 masks can capture larger particles.
Painters mask are worthless when it comes to respiratory protection.
Surgical mask which many people end up buying in stores are designed to keep in surgeons’ mouth or nose from getting into the surgical field. They are quite effective in using in surgical. And they provide mild to moderate degree of protection in viral infection. Because they are not airtight around the edges. When you breathe through or around them it does not provide optimal respiratory protection.
A cloth mask is intended to trap droplets that are released when the wearer talks, coughs, or sneezes. Asking everyone to wear cloth masks can help reduce the spread of the virus by people who have COVID-19 but do not realize it.
How should your face mask be worn?
Always wash your hands with soap and water before touching the face mask.
Remove mask from the dispenser or box and make sure the masks do not have any holes or tears.
Make sure you determine which side is the top and which is the front of the mask, so you can properly wear the mask.
Face masks with ear loops: hold by the ear loops and put the loops around each ear.
Face masks with ties: bring mask to your nose and place the ties over your head to secure with a tie.
Face masks with bands: hold mask to your nose and pull the top strap over the crown of your head and pull the bottom strap over your head so its at the nape of your neck.
Pull the mask over your mouth and chin
How often should we clean or replace mask?
For surgical mask, you can reuse them but every time you use them, their effectiveness decrease.so you should change them if they get moist or if they get soiled. And then certainly after day or two change to different disposable surgical mask.
For the cloth mask, laundering daily after using them is mandatory. They can get contaminated with virus on the outside of the mask, and that is why it’s also important when you take them off, wash your hands first and then take them off by grasping them inside and wash your hands again.
The CDC offers the following guidelines for wearing face masks:
Fits snugly but comfortably against the side of the face.
Secures with ties or ear loops.
Includes multiple layers of fabric.
Allows for breathing without restriction.
Able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape.
“Wear a Mask to show your support to stand against Covid19”
Reference:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Author: Sithika
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