Table of Contents
Introduction
- Face masks have become an integral part of our daily lives following the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.
- Touted as the first measure to protect against virus, masks have become mandatory for all leaving their homes.
- The health ministry on Monday warned against “inappropriate use of N95 masks, especially those that contain respiratory valves.”
- In a letter to all states and union territories, Rajiv Garg, the director general of health services, ministry of health said
- “It is to bring to your knowledge that the use of valved respirator N95 masks is detrimental to the measures adopted for preventing the spread of coronavirus as it does not prevent the virus from escaping out of the mask.”
What is the function of an N-95 valved mask?
- Any N-95 mask with a valve is essentially made with a raised plastic disk which is embedded in the fibre.
- The function of the valve is to filter the air inhaled by the wearer for comfortable breathing and to prevent him from breathing in the pathogens suspended in the air.
- However, while these masks with valves may have come handy when the air pollution levels went soaring in the metros, they spell nothing but trouble during the pandemic.
- Some masks designed for hot, dusty construction work — where the intent is to filter out dust before it hits the wearer’s lungs — have “exhaust” valves that allow the exhaled air to flow out more easily, to keep the mask-wearer cooler.
- One-way valve
- The experts in the health industry have been warning against the inappropriate usage of valved masks as they can lead to the release of unfiltered exhaled air which makes it difficult to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
What mask should you wear?
- Instead of N-95 masks with valved respirators, you can use the ones without it.
Introduction Face masks have become an integral part of our daily lives following the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic. Touted as the first measure
Latest Burning Issues | Free PDF
WhatsApp