Wearing a face mask is one of the few preventative measures one can take in order to prevent getting infected with the coronavirus. However, whether everyone from the general public should wear a mask or jot is something about which the opinions of health experts are divided. It’s not that it can do harm, but whether it can be as effective as expected.
Since the spreading of the virus began in Wuhan, China, in December, more than 81,000 individuals became infected and around 2,760 lost their lives. It has been reported that the virus has reached 40 other countries. According to health experts, the most effective precaution measures include frequent hands washing, avoiding touching one’s face and avoiding close contact with sick individuals.
Experts also point out that it is doctors and nurses who are treating potentially infected patients that need to bother wearing N95 respirator masks and goggles. The average person, on the other hand, shouldn’t consider this mandatory. What’s more, since the demand for these masks in on the rise, if everyone gets runs to the drugstore to get one, there won’t be enough for those really in need – such as medical workers.
The Two Different Types of Face Masks
The purpose of face masks is to catch large contaminants and particles. There are two main types of masks: surgical masks and N95 respirators.
N95 Respirators
N95 respirators are face masks designed to filter out a great amount of airborne particles from the air surrounding the person wearing it. These can prevent the user from breathing in particles as small as 0.3 microns in diameter. N95 respirators are the type that’s utilized when the quality of the air in an area is compromised (usually due to pollution).These are designed to fit tightly against the wearer’s face.
If worn correctly, these respirators can block out around 95% of the small airborne particles in the surrounding air. This means that they can successfully filter out some droplets that carry the coronavirus. The coronavirus diameter is somewhere between between .05 and 0.2 microns in diameter.
Surgical Masks
Surgical masks, on the other hand, are meant to keep droplets and splatter from being transferred from a person mouth to their surrounding surfaces or people. Another way to put it is to say that they are a physical barrier that can prevent healthcare providers or sick people from transferring their own mouth-borne germs to patients. The fit of the surgical masks is not as tight as that on is far N95 respirators. Also. Surgical masks feature openings around the edges.
What Is the Proper Way to Wear a Face Mask
People who aren’t medical personnel generally don’t wear either of these masks properly. For instanced, they are not careful whether they move too much in a way that can compromise the protective position of the mask. Along with that, touching one’s face can also contribute to miss-aligning the mask or it can amount to breaking the barrier that the mask is there to create in the first place. Facial hair that falls down freely around the face can also break the seal . That being said, for proper protection, it’s important to keep one’s hair tidy; the wearer should also refrain from making fast and clumsy movements; and they should try to not touch the face, as consistently as possible.
