During the epidemic of new coronavirus pneumonia, experts are calling on everyone to wear masks in public places and try to minimize going out, but many people don’t understand why they should wear masks. Let ’s take a look at why we should wear masks during the epidemic !
Why wear a mask?
The main route of transmission of the new coronavirus is droplet transmission, which can be effectively blocked by wearing a mask. Masks are an important line of defense against respiratory infections and can reduce the risk of new coronavirus infections. The mask can not only prevent the patient from spraying droplets, reduce the droplet volume and spraying speed, but also block the virus-containing droplet core and prevent the wearer from inhaling.
How to wear a mask?
(1) Masks are not required in the open and ventilated areas of non-infected areas, and masks are required when entering densely populated or closed public places.
(2) It is recommended to wear single-use medical masks in open and ventilated places in areas with high incidence of epidemics; medical surgical masks or particulate matter protective masks should be worn in crowded or closed public places.
(3) When you come to the hospital with suspected symptoms, you need to wear a particulate protective mask or a medical protective mask without an exhalation valve.
(4) Patients with basic respiratory diseases should use protective masks under the guidance of a doctor. Young infants and young children cannot wear masks, which can cause suffocation.
(5) Cotton gauze masks, sponge masks and activated carbon masks have no protective effect on preventing virus infection.
Mask type and user
(1) Disposable medical masks: It is recommended for the public to use in non-personnel-intensive public places.
(2) Medical surgical masks: The protective effect is better than disposable medical masks. It is recommended to wear them during suspected cases, passengers of the public transportation department, taxi drivers, sanitation workers, and service personnel in public places.
(3) KN95 / N95 and above particulate protective masks: The protective effect is better than medical surgical masks and disposable medical masks. It is recommended for field investigation, sampling and testing personnel. The public can also wear it in places with high concentration of people or closed public places.
(4) Medical protective masks: It is recommended to wear them when sending out fevers, isolating ward medical staff and confirmed patients for transfer.
What are the principles of handling masks after use?
(1) Masks worn by healthy people do not have the risk of transmission of the new coronavirus, and they are generally replaced when the protective performance of the mask is reduced due to deformation, wetness or soiling. The masks used by healthy people can be disposed of according to the requirements of domestic waste classification.
(2) Masks worn by suspected cases or confirmed patients should not be discarded arbitrarily, they should be treated as medical waste, and they should be disposed of in strict accordance with relevant procedures of medical waste, and must not enter the circulation market.