For this purposes, disposable face masks were worn for extended periods of time (up to 24 h) and tested before and after usage. Then, we carried out a functional analysis on the filtering properties of FFRs and, afterwards, a morphological inspection of single layers of FFRs. As a first step, we conducted a survey to investigate people’s habits in wearing disposable face masks. In this framework, we report two evidences of possible face masks’ deterioration: (1) functional deterioration related to a decrease in humid air filtering capability (2) morphological deterioration related to a mechanical degradation of the face mask layers. By examining the effects of common practices on disposable face masks and the device deterioration over time, here we demonstrate why a correct usage is important to prevent potentially adverse health effects. It is widely known that, as the wearer breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes, water vapor and droplets are produced, which can carry viruses and transmit infections (as in the case of SARS-CoV-2) 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. With all these elements taken into consideration, appropriate use, storage, cleaning, and disposal are essential to ensure their effectiveness and to limit transmission risks, regardless of the mask type 9. Last and least effective are the custom-made cloth masks 9, 20. Moreover, the five layers of filtration material and the FFR shape, which seals around the wearer’s nose and mouth, guarantee the filtration claimed by the corresponding standards, while medical masks, which have three filtration layers and an open shape, provide a naturally less performant and leaking structure. They are commonly used not only for protection against aerosols but also dust and microparticles, and are available in different classes depending on their filtering efficiency.įor example, in terms of filtration, medical masks can filter 3 µm-sized droplets, whereas FFRs can filter 0.075 µm-sized solid particles European “FFP2” FFRs are able to filter at least 94% solid NaCl particles and oil droplets, whereas “N95” FFRs from US can filter at least 95% NaCl particles 18, 19. Filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) are disposable devices subject to other sets of regulatory standards, corresponding to different physical properties and performance characteristics. Medical face masks are commonly referred to as surgical or procedural masks, with performance features in terms of filtration, breathability, and fluid penetration resistance which are tested according to a set of standardized procedures and are designed to fit specific usage in medical environment 17. This fact led to misbehaviors in the population which may cause adverse health effects in both the short and long term and, therefore, needs to be recognized by health organizations and legislators as soon as possible 15, 16.
HALF GAS MASK HOW TO
The result has been a partial, inadequate, or even distorted awareness of the general public about what a face mask is, how to use it correctly, and why 13, 14. On the other hand, the urgency caused by the rapid escalation of the pandemic has led governments to react quickly and force their citizens to adopt these medical protection equipment 12 without, however, providing an in-depth and comprehensive insight of their distinctive features, correct practices, proper wearing techniques, and disposal methods. On the one hand, this new habit, together with other hygiene practices 9, was demonstrated to be a key element in containing and slowing down the spread of the virus 10, 11. At the time of writing this paper, a large part of the world population considers wearing a face mask as a normal daily routine 6, 7, which has a psychological, social, political, and cultural impact 8. In contrast, countries from Northern Europe had a milder threat perception and have not adopted emergency measures to a similar extent 5. For instance, Italy was one of the first and most affected countries by COVID-19 in the pandemic’s early stages and the first to order a nationwide lockdown on Ma4: timely and strict emergency measures, including the mandatory use of face masks for everyone both indoors and outdoors, were introduced to mitigate the spread of the virus and reduce the risk of infection. Governments’ guidelines and public awareness in each country differ and are constantly updated as new SARS-CoV-2 spreading dynamics and genetic mutations 2, 3 are discovered.
The world’s countries faced the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic outbreak with different attitudes and diversified national control strategies 1.
0 kommentar(er)
