As the coronavirus started in China, face masks have gone from something you normally see on your dental clinic to be a sold-out commodity in market because of its high demand.
By:- Suhaib Ahsan
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, patients confirmed or suspected with coronavirus can all be benefited from masks, which may help to prevent COVID-19 droplets from spreading. Masks are effective at capturing droplets, which is a main transmission route of coronavirus. If you are in close contact with someone infected with viral disease, a mask cuts the chance of the diseases being spread. Therefore, both the patients and caretakers should use a mask.
What kind of masks are we talking about?
There are mainly two kinds of masks being used for coronavirus protection.
- The surgical mask which you might have generally seen at hospitals or clinics.
- The more protective N-95 mask, that is mainly used in highly polluted environments such as oil fields.
N95 versus surgical mask
N95 respirators reduce the wearer’s exposure to airborne particles, from small particle aerosols to large droplets. N95 respirators are tight-fitting respirators that filter out at least 95% of particles in the air, including large and small particles. Therefore they are more reliable for protection from coronavirus.
Can only mask protect from coronavirus?
Wearing a face mask is certainly not a guarantee that you won’t get sick. This is because; viruses can also be transmitted through the eyes and tiny viral particles, known as aerosols, which might penetrate masks easily.
Other Precautionary Measures
Therefore there are some other alternatives that everyone should follow
- Washing your hands regularly.
- Staying a safe distance away from sick people (at least six feet between you and them).
- Avoiding touching your face when your hands are dirty.
- Avoid sharing of your personal things such as water bottles with the infected person.
These are all far easier, cheaper, and more effective measures for the general public to adopt to avoid contracting COVID-19.
