In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, people are asking questions that may have never occurred before, one of them being--What's the right way to wear a Surgical mask??
Face masks, as we all know it, are used as a shield by wearer against large droplets or splashes of bodily and infected fluids from others.?
After being declared a global public health emergency, people have been scuttering to get their supplies of face masks, so much so, factories across China and many South-East Asian countries have stepped up production of surgical face masks to meet demand.
A Whatsapp forward suggesting the right way to use a surgical mask has currently been doing the rounds on WhatsApp.?In it, an unknown individual claims that a 'Nurse' guided them about the purpose of the coloured and plain side of a surgical mask.??
The message alleges that the 'coloured side is for people who are sick' and the 'white side is for people who aren't sick'.
But this theory was termed fake by a report on The Star.?Bel Nawhen a Malaysian?columnist who busts medical myths says?outer layer is hydrophobic or is a fluid-repelling layer while the inner layer is to absorb moisture, as the air we breathe out contains moisture.
According to the Star,?¡°The function of the blue/green layer is to prevent germs from sticking to it. If you wear the mask the other way, the moisture from the air will stick onto it, making it easier for germs to stay there.¡°When you breathe in, the germs will transfer from the outside later and straight into your lungs, ¡± Bel wrote in a Facebook post.??
Speaking to the Guardian?Catherine Makison Booth, a microbiologist at the UK¡¯s?Health?and Safety Laboratory says, ' before you buy any mask, make sure it has a CE certification mark, which indicates conformity with EU health, safety and environmental protection standards.
One must also keep in mind that surgical face masks should only be used for eight to 10 hours or else they may serve as sources of bacteria themselves.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (leading national public health institute of the United State) recommends two different kinds of face masks ¡ª surgical masks and N95 respirators.?
?According to a TOI report,?N95 masks disappearing from chemist shops in Mumbai, but doctors are warning people that it may not be as effective.? ?
The N95 masks are not recommended for non-medical professionals, according to reports, many are not don't have the knowledge to use them correctly and are at higher risk of contracting the virus.?
Speaking to TOI,?Chennai-based internal medicine specialist Dr V Ramasubraman?said he doesn¡¯t advise the general public to use a mask at all.?¡°Only if you travel to an affected zone, use a triple-layered surgical mask," he said.?
To quell fears,?Dr Parvaiz Kaul,head, pulmonary medicine department, Shere-i-Kashmir Hospital Srinagar told TOI that there's no need to rush and masks and that the outbreak?should die down in the coming weeks if not in a month.
"There also are reports from Wuhan about patients responding?anti-HIV medication nelfinavir and lopinavir,¡¯¡¯ and added that vaccines are in the pipelin and the?virus¡¯s genetic code is known.?