Is The Surgical Face Mask A Good Protection From Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
/Is The Surgical Face Mask A Good Protection From Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Wearing a medical mask is one of the preventive measures meant to limit the transmission of respiratory infections, including infection caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in China. However, just wearing a mask is not enough, so it is necessary to take other measures, among which the most important ones are to respect the hygiene norms.
What is the medical mask?
A medical mask is a tool used to prevent the transmission of infections, and it covers the nose and mouth. Face masks help to limit the spread of germs. When someone speaks, coughs, or sneezes, small drops of pathogens are released into the air that can infect the surrounding people, and by wearing a mask, you can prevent the contamination of other people.
But wearing a medical mask is just one of the measures to prevent respiratory infections. In this regard, personal hygiene measures are essential. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, cover your mouth when sneezing, coughing or wiping your nose, always wash your hands before preparing food, before sitting down at the table and after going to the toilet.
Who should wear a medical mask?
Wearing a medical mask is recommended:
People with symptoms of respiratory infections
People who care for patients with respiratory infections
Those who have been in contact with patients with other respiratory infections
Those who visit hospitals or clinics
Medical staff
Food industry personnel
Drivers or drivers of public transportation
Persons working in unattended or insufficiently ventilated places
Students and teachers (except physical education classes).
Is it advisable to wear a mask to protect yourself from coronavirus?
Given concerns about the new coronavirus in China, many people wonder what the best way to protect against infection is. Many people wonder if a medical mask offers protection, and if so, what kind of mask? The most important thing to remember is that the specialists are trying to understand how the coronavirus is transmitted. It is recommended:
Hand-washing frequently throughout the day;
Avoid touching the eyes, nose, and mouth with bare hands;
Avoid contact with sick people or people that present symptoms such as coughing, running nose, or fever.
These measures help prevent many infections, including those with the coronavirus. Recommendations from international organizations for people who are suspected of having infection with the coronavirus and who have mild respiratory symptoms should:
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or disinfect your hands with an alcohol-based solution
Keep distance from healthy people at least 1 meter
To wear a medical mask.
Caregivers of those suspected of being infected with the coronavirus should follow the same measures and, moreover, need to dispose of contaminated material with the patient's secretions as safely as possible and open the windows as often as possible.
This face mask may play a role in preventing infection, but its purpose is limited in real situations. There is some evidence that the mask protects you from transmitting the virus from hand to mouth, probably because you are more careful not to touch the face when wearing it. You are also more protected from drops when someone sneezes or coughs near you.
The biggest concern that doctors have about these masks is the false sense of security that their wearing gives you. There are many reasons why face masks are not ideal. For example, it is difficult to find one that will fit perfectly around the nose and mouth and keep it for a long time. The moment you touch your nose or mouth when wearing a mask, its protective role is lost. In the medical environment, there are clear recommendations regarding when to wear the mask and what protection is indicated depending on the type of infection the patients have.
Precautions related to saliva drops
Use a rectangular medical mask in case of an infection that spreads through large drops when someone coughs, sneezes, or speaks. Infections such as influenza, pertussis, and certain types of bacterial meningitis fall into this category. Both the infected person and others should wear face masks. The caregivers must wear a mask every time they interact with the patient and have a new one every time they come in contact with the patient.
Cautions for airborne transmission
Some lung or throat infections spread through small viral or bacterial particles that remain suspended in the air and are inhaled by others. The coronavirus, varicella, SARS, and tuberculosis fall into this category. In these cases, the infected person must wear a face mask. And all people who come in close contact should wear an N95 breathing mask, which has a specially designed filter to protect against small particles in the air. These masks are usually rounded.
While specialists continue to learn more about how the coronavirus is spread, the recommendations regarding the medical mask are mostly addressed to people who have the infection or are exposed. People who are exposed to or at high risk of getting the disease should wear a medical mask.
If you are wearing a face mask, make sure it fits well on your nose and mouth. Throw it accurately and put another one whenever someone near you coughs or sneezes.
According to the World Health Organization, "the mere use of face masks is insufficient to provide adequate protection against the spread of the new coronavirus." Besides, most people do not know how to use a medical mask correctly, and buying medical masks in bulk might prevent the people who really need them the most to find them.
Is it advisable to wear a mask to protect yourself from the flu?
Wearing a mask can help protect you from influenza viruses - those involved in most seasonal flu cases.
Some studies have shown that wearing a medical mask helps prevent the spread of the flu. The use of a medical mask and an alcohol-based hand sanitizer prove to be more effective preventative measures than only wearing such a mask. People living in shelters, older people's homes, or military barracks have the highest risk of getting the flu.
Adults can transmit the influenza virus one day before the onset of symptoms and 5-7 days after the infection is installed; therefore, the selective use of masks (for example, near the asymptomatic person) may not effectively limit the transmission of the virus to the community.
Influenza viruses are transmitted through the air, through saliva drops released when the infected person sneezes, coughs or speaks. The drops can be inhaled directly or can contaminate objects such as the phone, computer or keyboard, and then transmitted through the eyes, nose, or mouth.
Medical masks can help prevent the transmission of influenza viruses, including from the hands to the mouth or nose, but the best way to avoid the flu is the annual flu vaccination.
How to wear the mask correctly?
The World Health Organization recommends that the medical mask be placed "carefully over the nose and face and held close to reduce the space between the face and the mask", to avoid touching it during wearing and to be thrown away when it is moistened. Also, the World Health Organization advises that when the mask is removed, not to touch the front, but the cord that attaches to the ears.
When wearing a medical mask, make sure that:
The mask fits on the face. The elastic or cord must be positioned correctly so that the mask stays firm. The mask must cover the nose, mouth, and chin.
The mask should not be touched with the hands, because the efficiency of the protection is affected. If you must touch it, wash it first and then on your hands.
When you need to remove the mask, avoid touching the outside because it can be contaminated with microbes.
Before being discarded, the mask should be placed in a plastic bag.
A medical mask should not be worn for more than one day. Replace it immediately if it is wet or damaged.
Sources:
