N95 Masks With Respirator : Govt Urges Citizens to Stop Using It
N95 Masks With Respirator : Health Ministry on 20th July warned citizens against using N95 masks with a respirator or a respiratory valves. Firstpost reports that Director General of Health Services (DGHS) has cautioned against the use of N95 masks with a respirator.
Rajiv Garg, the Director General of Health Services issued a letter against the use of N95 masks with a respiratory valve. In the letter, Rajiv Garg mentions that the use of valved respirator N95 masks is detrimental to the measures adopted for preventing the spread of Coronavirus as it does not prevent the virus from escaping out of the masks.
On April 3rd 2020, Government had shared advisory for the use of homemade protective cover for face and mouth. The advisory read :
- Homemade face cover is a good method for maintaining personal hygiene. Such usage certainly will help in maintaining overall hygienic health conditions.
- People who are not suffering from medical conditions or having breathing difficulties may use the handmade reusable face cover, particularly when they stepout of their house. This will help in protecting the community at large.
- This face cover is not recommended for either health workers or those working with or in contact with COVID 19 patients or are patients themselves as these categories of people are required to wear specified protective gear.
- It is advised that two sets of such face covers be made so that one can be washed while the other is used. Hand washing would still remain essential criteria and hand should be washed before wearing the face cover. Such face covers should also not be thrown anywhere but kept safely, washed properly with soap and hot water and dried properly before they are used.
- These face covers could be made out of clean cloth available at home, which needs to be thoroughly cleaned and washed before a face cover is stitched/made. The face cover should be prepared in such a manner that it can cover the mouth and nose completely and can be tied over the face easily.
- There must not be a sharing of face covers and a face cover must be used by only one individual. So, in a family of several members, each member should have a separate face cover.
Why the N95 masks with respirator are advised not to be used?
The Centre has written to all states and union territories warning against the use of N-95 masks with valved respirators by people. In USA Central California’s Central Coast, Santa Barbara County has adopted the no-valve rule.
The N95 masks with respirators have a one-way valve that allows your exhaled air to pass through a small round or square filter disk attached to the front of the mask. These masks they do not block transmission of COVID-19 because they allow exhaled air and droplets to escape.
India has so far recorded over 11,50,000 cases of Coronavirus positive patients. Therefore, the government is determined to follow every possible step to stop the spread of virus. This government advisory comes at a wake of rising Coronavirus cases in the country.
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