N95 Mask: Today readers shall read about the safety measures and safeguards taken by the government and the people of India. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, people are forced to take some safety measures and follow some of the guidelines given by the government. People do not willingly wear a mask, use sanitizer, or even follow the rules of social distancing. They follow it not for their safety but because of its compulsion by the government.
N95 Mask News Highlights
- The Health Ministry of India warned the states to prevent inappropriate use of N95 masks.
- The Government advised People to use home-made protective covers available on MoHFW’s website.
- The director-general of Health services of India warned people about the N95 masks in his new guideline.
- N95 masks are not safe as it does not prevent the spread of Virus
- N95 masks are more prior to protect those who are not infected.
Masking, Sanitizing, and Social distancing
Masking, sanitizing, and social distancing are some of the commonly followed measures by the people all around. But there’s a catch, there are some standards and guidelines in following it effectively and efficiently as well, which are of course provided by the government.
The government of India has instructed that social distancing must be maintained at a minimum of 1 meter with both living and nonliving beings and one must sanitize his/her hands after coming in contact with anything in a public place. There are several other guidelines authorized by the Indian government and the health ministry of India. But for masks, it is a bit complicated, we’ll look into it in a minute.
Why is masking necessary?
Face masks have evolved as a vital ingredient of our daily lives observing the Covid-19 pandemic. It is treated as the primary measure to safeguard against the virus.
Covid-19 Hospitals and Medical Center professionals wear face masks to prohibit and prevent the spread of coronavirus. Wearing a face mask will help deter the spread of the virus and prevent the person from acquiring any airborne contagious particles. When someone talks, coughs or sneezes they could expel the virus into the air that may contaminate others nearby. Face masks are an ingredient of the Covid-19 control protocol to eradicate cross-contamination.
Tips to wear Masks
- Always sanitize your hands or wash them with soap and water before wearing the face mask.
- To wear the mask properly, determine which side is the front and which is the top of the mask.
- For masks with ear, loops hold by the ear loops and settle the loops around each ear. For masks with ties, place the ties over your head, by placing the mask near your head to secure it with a tie.
- For masks with bands, pull the top strap over the crown of your head by pulling the mask over to your head and pull the lowermost belt over your skull so its at the nape of your neck.
- Pull the mask over your chin, mouth, and nose.
Deciding on which mask to wear?
The Health Ministry of India has prescribed the use of self-made protective cover. The government of India had administered an advisory on the use of home-made protective cover for mouth and face, asking the public to wear it, especially when they step out of their dwellings. The advisory emphasized such face covers must be cleaned and washed every day, as advised, and contended that any old and used cotton cloth can be also used to make this face cover.
The government has also asked the state governments to deter inappropriate use of N95 masks. The advisory said that the N95 masks with valves are dangerous to the criteria adopted for deterring the spread of coronavirus. The Union health ministry has cautioned all the states against the use of N95 masks with a valved respirator, as they are detrimental as the valves do not prevent the infection from fleeing out of the mask.
What is an N95 mask?
An N95 mask or N95 respirator works as a specific filtering facepiece respiratory system that meets the United States National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) standard, which includes N95 classification of air filtration of at least 95% of airborne particles present in the air. The N95 type is the vastly used particulate-filtering facepiece respirator.
It is an illustration of an automated and mechanical filter respirator, which delivers safety against particulates but not against vapors or gases. This standard does not require the need for a respirator to be reluctant or resistant to oil; another standard, P95, adds that requirement.
N95 respirators are regarded as functionally compatible and equivalent to certain respirators regulated and operated under non-American standards, mighty as KN95 respirators of China, and FFP2 respirators of the European Union.
Nevertheless, scarcely distinct norms and criteria are adopted and used to certify their performance, such as the test agent, filter efficiency, flow rate, and permissible pressure drop. The N95 mask requires a fine netting of man-made polymer fibers, particularly a nonwoven polypropylene cloth. It is created by melt blowing which constructs the inner filtration layer that filters out dangerous and hazardous particles.
Are N95 Masks safe to use?
The director-general of health services of India, Professor Dr.Rajiv Garg, handed out a directive in a letter to the health secretaries of all states in India.
The letter said that: It has been examined and observed that there is an inappropriate and outrageous use of the N95 mask especially with a valved respirator by the population other than appointed health workers. In this concern, I would like to bring out your interest to the advisory on the use of home-made protective covers for mouth and face available on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website
The advisory has asked the governments to deter inappropriate use of N95 masks. As the use of valved respirator N95 masks is detrimental to the criteria accepted for deterring the spread of the COVID-19 as it does not deter the virus from fleeing out of the mask.
Experts on N95 masks
The valve in an N95 mask filters the air breathed by the wearer for relaxed breathing. The researchers and doctors across the globe have instructed and warned against the use of N95 masks with a respiratory valve.
The valve in N95 masks is generally a ‘one-way valve’ which only protects the individual wearing it. One-way valve does not filter aerosols arriving out of one’s mouth. It will not safeguard anyone around that person from someone with potential exposure to the Coronavirus they exhale.
Types of N95 masks
There are generally 2 versions of N95 masks, one is the standard version and the other is the surgical version. Unspecific to any specific airborne contaminant, including bacteria and viruses, the following portion is intended to help the readers distinguish between standard versions and surgical versions of N95 particulate filtering facepiece respirators.
The standard N95 Respirators
Particulate respirators are generally constructed and designed to help lessen the wearerтАЩs disclosure to airborne particulate dangers. In the United States, respirators are certified and tested by the United States National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSH examines and certifies respirators based on their performance and physical characteristics along with filtration efficiency. The N95-rated filtering facepiece respirators retain a filtration efficiency of at least 95% against non-oily hazardous particles when tested under the NIOSH criteria.
The Surgical N95 respirators
Surgical masks are approved for usage as medical equipment by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or compatible and equivalent agencies outside the United States, and are assembled to be worn by healthcare experts during surgical treatments.
That authorization is based on data and formulated claims delivered by the manufacturer to the FDA for examination, in which the FDA evaluates and then approves those products that meet their regulations and requirements.
Because surgical masks are implied for use during surgeries, a key performance prerequisite is a fluid resistance which is the ability of masks to withstand penetration by high-pressure surges of liquid, such as those that might arise from a human artery being penetrated during surgery. These products are oftentimes referred to as healthcare respirators, medical respirators, or surgical N95s.
Standard N95 vs Surgical N95
Putting this all together will help the readers distinguish between a standard approved N95 respirator and a surgical N95 respirator. While identical in appearance, the key distinction is the fluid resistance and the concluding FDA clearance of surgical N95s.
In other words, No mask can ensure and guarantee the safety of the individual from the Covid-19 pandemic.
What can provide better safety than masks?
No surreal or material thing in this world can prevent the inevitable. Only Almighty God Kabir can prevent and change the future. According to the Holy, Vedas disease occur due to the sins of our previous and current life. Only Supreme God Kabir can end one’s sins and can free him from the disease. Worshipping the Real God by following the scriptures of all the religions after taking initiation from a True Saint can prevent one from getting ill.
Guaranteed Safeguard from Covid-19
By Taking initiation from Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj and by performing true worship of Supreme God Kabir, one can never get contaminated with something like coronavirus. Take initiation from True Guru Saint Rampal Ji Maharaj right away by filling this form.
