What are the different types of face masks, their benefits and uses, which types should you use. Get the answers here and now!
From April 2020, the U.S. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), WHO (World Health Organization), and MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs), India has made it compulsory for people to wear a mask whenever they step out of their house. There are a few different types of face masks that we can purchase to protect against viral particles. Let’s look at what are the different types of facemasks that the medical community and CDC is recommending.
Different Types of Facemasks : Benefits and Uses
1. Basic Homemade Cloth Masks – Is it the best for common use?
Cloth masks are the ones that are most commonly used by the general public. CDC recommends that cloth must be at least 2 or 3 layers in order to be effective. Densely woven cotton fabrics are the best as the thicker the mask, the greater the barrier. The main advantage of a cloth mask is that it can be easily washed and re-used.
2. Surgical Face Masks – Only for Surgeries or are they good for common use?
An FDA-approved surgical mask is made from a thin, disposable material. These masks are usually worn by medical professionals. They are effective for helping to protect others around you if you are a carrier of the virus. These masks are ideal for one-time usage and they can’t be washed and reused like cloth masks.
3. N95 respirator Mask – What are they used for?
U.S. CDC does not recommend this mask for the general public. N95 masks are recommended to be used only by healthcare professionals and also by professionals who manage respiratory protection/illness programs in healthcare setup. These masks are designed to capture at least 95% of particles measuring a median of 0.3 µm. They are more expensive compared to the above mentioned two masks.
There are many other respiratory mask models approved by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH) – CDC such as N99, N100, P99, P100, etc. However, these are not recommended for the common public. Also, each of these masks has its own usage time and different techniques of cleaning.
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Hope you had an interesting read on the Different Types of Face Masks and their Benefits and Uses.
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