It's the type of mask you should never wear
Face masks with valves are not the best way to protect against Covid-19, the CDC says. Here's why.
Face masks have become a normal part of our daily lives, helping to keep in safety and reduce the spread of COVID-19. Many states have even been issued from the requirements that residents wear masks each time they go outside. However,Each facial mask is not created equal. The fabric masks areless effective than surgical masks By filtering the coronavirus, but still, most proteins are better than nothing except when it comes to a face mask with a valve, however.
The mask valves are generally found on respirator-based facial masks, such as N95 respirator. According to disease control and prevention centers (CDC), N95 respirators filter "at least 95% of air particles, including large and small particles", where othersFace masks offer minimal protection against large droplets. And while many N95 masks are made without mask valves and are suitable for wear, CDC experts say that facial masks that include valves should not be used during the CVIV-19 pandemic.
"An N95 respirator with an expiration valve provides the same level of protection to the wearer as the one that does not have a valve," CDC notes. "The respirators with expiration valves should not be used in situations in which a sterile field must be maintained because the expiration valve makes it possible to escape in the sterile field."
This means that when you protect yourself from contracting the coronavirus, if you are already sick and ignorant, you could expand it to other people if your mask has a valve. According to the company 3M, this one-way pathValve filters in the air you breatheBut can allow contaminated droplets of the expired air to escape through the valve when you breathe. And with the CDC estimating that nearly 25% ofpeople could be asymptomatic (which means they have coronavirus and can transmit it, but do not show symptoms), a widespread use of masks with valves will not help stop the propagation of COVID-19.
So, why no mask has these valves if they do not protect against germs? Well,Face masks with valves were originally designed In the 1970s for use in factories and coal mines, according toEHS today, a safety and occupational health magazine. The workers had to wear masks to avoid inhaling any harmful matter. However, as manyPeople wearing masks now in the middle of the Pandemic of Covid-19 Can attest, these masks are not exactly at ease. We can all agree that wearing a mask for all your shift, especially in coal mines, would be extremely uncomfortable because the masks trap the warmth of your mouth. So the valves were created to allow the heat to escape from the mask, so that the workers remained more cool and more comfortable in the mines and in the factories. Of course, for this purpose, the air they have breathed was not a concern.
Today, many hardware stores like Home Depot sellN95 masks with valves use forHome Improvement ProjectsAs they help protect users from sanding, grinding, sawing and insulating particles, while further reducing heat accumulation inside the mask.
So, while many people can assume that these masks are an appropriate way to stay comfortable in public while remainingFight against Covid-19, This is not the case. In fact, the California Bay Area hasProhibited face masks with valves in themSaying that they do not respect the mandate of face coatings. And for more errors, you can do, checkGloves will not protect you from coronavirus if you make these errors.