Despite the popularity and record sale of N95 masks during the coronavirus pandemic, medical experts have warned about the possibility that not all of them could save from coronavirus. This warning is issued as a part of a public awareness program on coronavirus pandemic by the San Francisco Department of Public Health. A Tweet from the department says that not all N95 respirator masks are of good quality so there is a chance that they might not work.
It is necessary to know such information because it is possible to get coronavirus notwithstanding all preventive measures. It particularly mentioned that those masks which open from the front side or have valves are not at all safe for health, in fact, they could actually contribute to getting coronavirus. This twitter warning came from the original public health order in San Francisco which made all locals cover their faces with masks educating them on which type of masks would protect from coronavirus.
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The order said that masks that have valves usually allow the droplets to drip from the mask. And using such a mask would put other people’s health at risk if the mask-wearing person is a coronavirus patient. Many other medical experts have agreed to this.
Dr. Ali Raja, from the department of emergency medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital who also teaches at Harvard Medical School, says that coronavirus could be transmitted if a person is using a valves based mask because it has no filtration capacity.
He explains that any mask which has only a single path valve works well for the person who is wearing it only. It is not helpful in the transmission of the virus so anyone who is around the patient is still at high risk, despite wearing a mask. The purpose of wearing a mask is to protect the person wearing it and everyone around him both from the deadly coronavirus.
If it is only doing half of the work and leaving another half ineffective, the purpose of wearing a mask fails. In addition to this, it puts the health of everyone in extreme danger, without even realizing it.
The Fire Department of San Francisco has also posted another tweet last week telling which type of masks are more common and how the firefighters are using double masks for the added protection. To clarify the purpose of wearing this, the department said that our staff members could be in contact with coronavirus patients who were using the single valve masks.
Adrienne Sims, the director of San Francisco Firefighters Local #798 says that they are trying to instruct all their first respondent staff members who are at high risk of interacting with coronavirus patients, who use these types of masks.
The official website of these N95 masks, 3M tells that these masks work best against dust and all other particles especially associated with sanding and construction projects. They were initially designed to protect the workers in the field and the possibility of them contaminating others. The valves on these masks make them comfortable to use even in hot and humid weather.
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Medical experts warn all locals that masks that look like medical-grade N95 masks are also available but they are not helpful in this coronavirus pandemic. Every person should know whether or not their mask is protecting them and everyone around them from the virus or not. It is such a difficult time for everyone and getting the infection even after following all standard protective measures could make anyone frustrated.
All masks that are available online in cool designs and catchy colors might not be actually protective like an original N95 mask. That is why it is necessary for everyone to know that not all self-proclaimed N95 respirators are the superior grade N95 respirators that could save them from the deadly coronavirus.
