3 Types of Face Mask to Protect You From Coronavirus

With the shooting number of Coronavirus affected cases in the country, it is of utmost importance to follow ways to keep yourself safe from this widely spreading pandemic. The most effective ways to keep yourself safe is to practice social distancing, wash your hands with soap and water (or alcohol-based hand sanitizer). Apart from these two, another very important way to be safe is to wear face masks when you step out of your home.Covid19 is a respiratory disease that spreads via droplets. When a person coughs or sneezes or even speaks, the droplet containing the virus can travel a distance of around 2 meters and then fall on the surface. This is why wearing masks are crucial as with the mask on, the droplets are prevented to reach you to a great extent and thus the transmission of the virus is prevented.

Now that wearing a mask is a vital step when stepping out of home, let us have a look as to what are the different types of masks that are available and their effectiveness:

Surgical Masks:

Surgical Masks available here

The most commonly available one is the Surgical Mask. These are three-layered masks that filter out large particles in the air (mainly dust and other pollutants). The surgical mask protects from the spread of respiratory droplets as it acts as a layer for the transmission of biological fluid. But yes, this mask doesn’t protect against “airborne” infectious agents, and likewise, they cannot block the tiniest particles that may carry coronavirus. Nevertheless, due to their effectiveness in the prevention of the spread of biological fluid droplets, and also being economical, they can be used by a common person.

N95 Mask:

N95 Masks available here

As the name indicated, the N95 mask filters out 95% of the very small particles present in the air. As the N95 mask fits tightly, some of the N95 masks have valves which make it easy for the user to breathe. The valve prevents condensation inside the mask, misting on the glasses, and helps the user breathe in and out easily. This type of mask filter out the pathogens and hence are the most effective variant of the mask against coronavirus. Now that these are quite costly as compared to other types of masks available, it isn’t possible for all to afford this one. Nevertheless, healthcare workers should definitely be wearing this mask for its effectiveness against the widely spreading coronavirus.

Cloth Mask:

Cloth Masks Available here

Cloth Mask is a non-medical grade mask and they are the least effective ones in the category because most of them have gaps near the nose, cheeks, and jaw where tiny droplets can be inhaled. But then, they are helpful for non-health workers to contain coughs and to remind people to not touch their faces. Prefer a cloth mask with at least two-layer. They are generally of washable variant, so wash them often!In addition to social distancing and maintaining proper hygiene, using a mask is also a very crucial step towards your safety to fight against corona and prevent getting the infection. Take the utmost level of protection possible, and stay safe!