Face masks are in high demand due to COVID 19 virus,Normal 2 or 3 ply masks and N95 masks are being worn by people.Many feel that they are protected by this arrangement.
The question arises Can a mask protect you from Corona virus? Are we paying too much attention to face masks and avoiding other precaution in our fight against COVID 19? Many people are sleeping with the face mask on the face.It is just too much.
India bans export of ventilators,masks
Seeing the huge demand and actual need of masks government of India has banned the export of ventilators and masks.The a government communication says The export of Ventilators, Surgical/Disposable Masks (2/3 ply) and Textile raw material used for masks and coveralls has been prohibited with immediate effect.
A Notification (No.52/2015-2020) issued by Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry says that amendments in this regard have been made in the Export Policy. All other items except surgical/disposable (2/3 ply) masks allowed in the Notification No.48 dated 25.2.2020 shall remain free for exports.
Is a face mask necessary to protect you from novel coronavirus?
There are several facts and considerations regarding use of face masks.Emergency Manager talked with several experts and studied several researches on this issue.We are presenting these below:-
- For effective barrier the mask should seal the mouth and nose.
- A user must do seal check each time the respirator is used in home or workplace.
- When properly adjusted and worn on face,there should be minimal leakage of air through the edges of the mask when the user inhales.
- For effectiveness, all air going inside your nose or mouth should pass through cloth or media of the mask. almost all of the air is directed through the filter media.
- You can achieve this effectiveness in surgical N 95 mask which does not have an exhalation valve fitted on it.
- N 95 mask with exhalation mask can allow exhalation of contaminated air /droplets from the wearer.
- Surgical face mask or simple face masks have 2 or 3 layers of filter cloth or medium.
- Simple face masks are loose fitting and air incoming and outgoing air can pass through edges of the mask.
- Normal face mask can provide protection against droplets, including large respiratory particles.
- Most of normal face masks do not filter small particles from the air and do not stop leakage of air and droplets from loose edge of the face masks during exhale and inhale of air by the user.
- No seal of air can be achieved by it.
Why to wear face mask for protection?
- The face mask is used to control the spread of contamination from the source or patient.
- It helps in prevention of contamination of the area around the patient when he/she coughs or sneezes.
- A patients who is confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 must wear a face mask at home or hospital.
- Many health agencies has recommend that healthy people should not wear a face mask continuously.
- If a COVID 19 positive person can not wear a mask then others,who are in the room of the patient and are involved in his/her care, must wear masks.
Who should wear PPE like mask,gown and gloves?
Persons involved in medical care and nursing of the COVID 19 patients or people staying in same house in which a COVID 19 positive or suspected person is living, should wear PPE like disposable face masks, gloves and disposable gowns as they have chances of coming into contact with the bodily fluids of the patient.
Wearing gowns ,gloves by a normal person is not recommended.It is an excess.It will create a scarcity for those who actually need it.
Should we wear a N 95 masks?
A health care person or nursing person who is in contact with COVID 19 patients, must wear a N 95 masks. N 95 mask seals the nose and mouth area of the users face.
It can filter out 95 % of particles that which are of minimum size of 0.3 microns in diameters. (The 1/1,000th part of a millimeter is called a micron.)
Others should not wear N 95 masks.During the pandemic of COVID 19 N 95 masks are in scarcity and these are required for heath care workers and other persons directly handling the COVID 19 positive or suspected cases.
Wearing a face mask or N 95 mask (respirator) gives a false sence of security to the user.He / she can do risky behaviour which may endanger his/her live along with lives of others.
Isolation,frequent washing of hands and face with soap &water (20 second minimum) or with sanitiser containing 70% alcohol is essential to break the chain of transmission and stoppage of infection.
Face masks are in high demand due to COVID 19 virus,Normal 2 or 3 ply masks and N95 masks are being worn by people.Many feel that they are protected by this arrangement.
The question arises Can a mask protect you from Corona virus? Are we paying too much attention to face masks and avoiding other precaution in our fight against COVID 19? Many people are sleeping with the face mask on the face.It is just too much.
India bans export of ventilators,masks
Seeing the huge demand and actual need of masks government of India has banned the export of ventilators and masks.The a government communication says The export of Ventilators, Surgical/Disposable Masks (2/3 ply) and Textile raw material used for masks and coveralls has been prohibited with immediate effect.
A Notification (No.52/2015-2020) issued by Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry says that amendments in this regard have been made in the Export Policy. All other items except surgical/disposable (2/3 ply) masks allowed in the Notification No.48 dated 25.2.2020 shall remain free for exports.
Is a face mask necessary to protect you from novel coronavirus?
There are several facts and considerations regarding use of face masks.Emergency Manager talked with several experts and studied several researches on this issue.We are presenting these below:-
- For effective barrier the mask should seal the mouth and nose.
- A user must do seal check each time the respirator is used in home or workplace.
- When properly adjusted and worn on face,there should be minimal leakage of air through the edges of the mask when the user inhales.
- For effectiveness, all air going inside your nose or mouth should pass through cloth or media of the mask. almost all of the air is directed through the filter media.
- You can achieve this effectiveness in surgical N 95 mask which does not have an exhalation valve fitted on it.
- N 95 mask with exhalation mask can allow exhalation of contaminated air /droplets from the wearer.
- Surgical face mask or simple face masks have 2 or 3 layers of filter cloth or medium.
- Simple face masks are loose fitting and air incoming and outgoing air can pass through edges of the mask.
- Normal face mask can provide protection against droplets, including large respiratory particles.
- Most of normal face masks do not filter small particles from the air and do not stop leakage of air and droplets from loose edge of the face masks during exhale and inhale of air by the user.
- No seal of air can be achieved by it.
Why to wear face mask for protection?
- The face mask is used to control the spread of contamination from the source or patient.
- It helps in prevention of contamination of the area around the patient when he/she coughs or sneezes.
- A patients who is confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 must wear a face mask at home or hospital.
- Many health agencies has recommend that healthy people should not wear a face mask continuously.
- If a COVID 19 positive person can not wear a mask then others,who are in the room of the patient and are involved in his/her care, must wear masks.
Who should wear PPE like mask,gown and gloves?
Persons involved in medical care and nursing of the COVID 19 patients or people staying in same house in which a COVID 19 positive or suspected person is living, should wear PPE like disposable face masks, gloves and disposable gowns as they have chances of coming into contact with the bodily fluids of the patient.
Wearing gowns ,gloves by a normal person is not recommended.It is an excess.It will create a scarcity for those who actually need it.
Should we wear a N 95 masks?
A health care person or nursing person who is in contact with COVID 19 patients, must wear a N 95 masks. N 95 mask seals the nose and mouth area of the users face.
It can filter out 95 % of particles that which are of minimum size of 0.3 microns in diameters. (The 1/1,000th part of a millimeter is called a micron.)
Others should not wear N 95 masks.During the pandemic of COVID 19 N 95 masks are in scarcity and these are required for heath care workers and other persons directly handling the COVID 19 positive or suspected cases.
Wearing a face mask or N 95 mask (respirator) gives a false sence of security to the user.He / she can do risky behaviour which may endanger his/her live along with lives of others.
Isolation,frequent washing of hands and face with soap &water (20 second minimum) or with sanitiser containing 70% alcohol is essential to break the chain of transmission and stoppage of infection.
