With the rapid outbreak of the Coronavirus virus, many people have no enough face masks to protect themselves. And how to properly reuse face masks is a crucial question.
Which Masks can Protect Against Coronavirus
There are two different types of masks: surgical masks and respirators. A surgical mask can also protect the wearer from the risk of splashes of biological fluids. But it does not protect against “airborne” infectious agents so it will not prevent the wearer from being potentially contaminated by a virus such as the coronavirus. A respirator is personal protective equipment that prevents the wearer from inhaling aerosols (dust, smoke, mist) as well as vapors or gases (disinfectants, anesthetic gases) that are health hazards.
it protects the wearer from airborne infectious agents i.e. against contamination by a virus such as coronavirus, SARS, H1N1, etc. So it is better to choose respirators.
What is N95 mask
N95 mask is the common name of N95 filter respirator in 42 CFR PART 84 formulated by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Various countries have corresponding standards, such as KN95 in China, RS2 / RL2 in Japan, KF94 in South Korea, and FFP2 in the European Union. N means Not resistant to oil, can be used to protect non-oily suspended particles; 95 means that the filtration efficiency is greater than or equal to 95%, indicating that after careful testing, this respirator can block at least 95% of very small (0.3 micron level ) Test the particles.
according to the protection ability(high to low), it is N95 masks> surgical masks> common medical masks> common cotton masks.
how long can an n95 mask be worn
Some researchers have done relevant research on the protective efficiency and wearing time of N95 medical protective masks. The results show that the N95 masks have been maintained for more than 95% of the filtration efficiency for 2 days, and the respiratory resistance has not changed much; the filtration efficiency has been reduced to 94.7 for 3 days %.
The advice given by the US CDC is that in the absence of an adequate supply of masks, as long as the device is not significantly soiled or damaged (such as creases or tears), it can be considered for reuse.
Masks should be replaced in time if have these problem:
- the respiratory impedance is significantly increased;
- the mask is damaged or damaged;
- the mask cannot be tightly attached to the face;
- The mask is contaminated (such as when stained with foreign matter such as blood stains or droplets);
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