How does little KN95 or N95 facemask to prevent the coronavirus?
How does little KN95 or N95 facemask to prevent the coronavirus?
Little mask, do you really understand? What types of masks are there? What's the difference between them? Which mask works best to stop the virus? Do we have to buy N95 masks? Does the N95 exhalation valve reduce protection? This article summarizes eleven questions about masks. I hope that in the season when the virus is raging, we can clear up doubts about masks.
1 / Does wearing a mask really work?
The answer is unquestionable: useful.
Whether from an epidemiological perspective or from a clinical research standpoint, there is already a lot of evidence to prove that wearing a mask correctly can effectively prevent the spread of the virus.
The first clinical study was published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases in 2008. The study concluded that, when used correctly, masks can effectively prevent the spread of the virus [1]. Children with influenza at home, if they can use masks correctly, the family is 80% less likely to be diagnosed with the virus, and in this study, the differences between different masks were small.
Another study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, reported similar results. Researchers investigated 400 flu patients. They found that the families of these patients had a 70% reduction in the risk of flu if they frequently washed their hands and wore surgical masks [2].
There are other studies that have found that even in other environments outside the home, good hygiene practices and wearing masks can help reduce the risk of infection.
A study conducted a randomized trial of more than 1,000 students living in university dormitories. Researchers divided students into the following groups: a group wearing a mask, a group wearing a mask and paying attention to frequent hand washing, and a group without a mask. The results showed that those who wear masks and wash their hands frequently have a 75% reduction in the risk of flu-like illness [3]. The study also found that using masks alone but not washing their hands often did not reduce the risk. Therefore, wearing a mask and frequent hand washing must be performed simultaneously.
What is the difference between KN95 and N95 masks?
Because of the occurrence of the new coronavirus, many people are buying masks. So which mask is better? The following editors will tell you the difference between KN95 and N95 masks. Let's take a look.
KN95 mask:
KN95 mask is actually a mask that meets the requirements of China's GB2626 standard, GB is the meaning of the national standard. The standard is non-oily particulate matter filtration efficiency ≥ 95%.
N95 mask:
N95 mask is certified by NIOSH in the United States. The standard is also the non-oily particulate filtering efficiency ≥95%.
KN95 and N95 masks need to be worn correctly:
Before wearing the KN95 and N95 masks, you need to wash your hands before you wear them. The light color is inside and the metal strip is on the top. Don't wear this wrong, it won't protect you.
Time to change masks:
Normal use of KN95 or N95 masks, generally choose to replace one within 4 hours, do not replace it for too long, because if it is too long, the mask will lose its function.
Special circumstances need to be replaced in time:
In some special cases, it cannot be worn for a long time. 1. Breathing is difficult. 2. The mask is broken. 3. The mask is contaminated. 4, there is a smell in the mask. 5. The mask cannot fit the face. These situations need to be replaced in time.
1. KN95 masks are actually masks that meet the requirements of China's GB2626 standard.
2. The N95 mask is certified by NIOSH in the United States, and the standard is also the non-oily particulate filtering efficiency ≥95%.
3. KN95 and N95 masks need to be worn correctly.
4. If you use KN95 or N95 masks normally, you can choose to replace one within 4 hours.
5. Special circumstances need to be replaced in time.
How to wear a mask correctly
You don't have to worry about getting rid of the virus just by putting on a mask. The correct wearing method recommended by the Health and Epidemic Prevention Center of the Hong Kong Department of Health should be divided into five steps: "selection-washing-confirmation-mask-sticking" [4].
① Choose: choose a mask that fits your face in a suitable size;
② Washing: Hands must be cleaned before wearing a mask;
③ Yes: determine the integrity of the mask, front and back, and up and down direction, for example, the side with general color should be outward, and the side with metal strip should be upward;
④ Cover: cover your nose, mouth and chin tightly;
⑤ Adhesion: If there is a metal strip, it should be pressed by hand along both sides of the bridge of the nose to ensure the adhesion.
The figure below shows a five-step method of wearing a mask after washing your hands.
Remind everyone to pay more attention to this step of hand washing. In daily life, most people ignore the step of washing their hands when wearing a mask: not only to wash their hands before wearing, but to avoid touching the mask again with their hands after wearing them, and to clean them before touching again and after With both hands, this helps increase the protective effectiveness of the mask.
