The importance of wearing a mask correctly

According to epidemiological traceability, among most confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia, wearing masks is not standardized, which is one of the important reasons for contracting the virus.

The importance of wearing masks can be said with data:

Neither the carrier of the new coronavirus nor the contact person wears a mask, and the infection rate is 90%;

If the carrier of the new coronavirus does not wear a mask and the other party wears a mask, the infection rate is 30%;

The infection rate of the new coronavirus carrier wearing a mask and the other party not wearing a mask is 5%;

Both the new coronavirus carrier and the other party wear masks, and the infection rate is 1.5%;

Both sides wear masks, keep a distance of more than 1.8 meters, and the infection rate is 0%.

The usefulness of wearing a mask depends on a number of factors. A mask cannot be used indefinitely and indefinitely. Under normal circumstances, the cumulative use of disposable medical masks and medical surgical masks should not exceed 8 hours; the use of masks by occupational exposure personnel should not exceed 4 hours and cannot be used again.

If used in high-risk situations, or after contact with patients, the mask must be discarded after one use. However, in daily life, such as parks, roads, and public places with relatively sparse crowds, you can take off the mask and put it in a ventilated environment to dry naturally before continuing to use it.

In addition, infants and young children under the age of 3 should not wear masks, which are easy to cause suffocation. Passive protection should be the main focus. Parents should try to avoid taking their children to crowded public places.

Masks need to be stored separately, five ways to make masks "ineffective"

First, the mask is pulled to the chin and hung on the arm. During an outbreak, there may be viruses suspended in the environment. The neck and chin are the exposed areas of the virus. Pulling the mask to the chin will contaminate the inner layer of the mask and increase the risk of contracting the virus when the mask is put back on the nose and mouth. Hanging it on the arm, when the body is active, it may inadvertently come into contact with virus-contaminated items, and the arm has a wider range of motion. The inner layer of the mask is easily contaminated with dust and bacteria, which does not provide protection, and it is more likely to be infected when re-wearing.

Second, does not fit the face well. There is a gap between the mask and the face, and when a person breathes, the airflow will flow to the gap. A test found that the external bacteria leakage rate reached 100%. That is to say, there is a gap between the mask and the face, which will seriously reduce the filtering effect of the mask.

Third, touch the outside of the mask when removing the mask. If you remove it directly from the outside with your hands, it is equivalent to opening the channel for contact to spread the virus. Hands may be contaminated by the outside of the mask. If you forget to wash your hands, touch your nose and rub your eyes, the virus will enter the human body unknowingly.

Fourth, the mask is worn backwards. Disposable medical surgical masks generally have three layers, the outer layer blocks water, the middle layer blocks particles, and the inner layer absorbs moisture. If the mask is worn backwards, the water-blocking outer layer faces inward, and the exhaled water vapor cannot pass through. If the mask becomes wet after wearing it for a while, the blocking effect will be lost.

Fifth, the mask is sprayed with alcohol. Masks can protect against viruses because viruses form small particles with liquid droplets and attach to masks. Spray the surface of the mask with alcohol. When the alcohol evaporates, the moisture inside will be taken away. When reused, the separated virus may be inhaled.

Please note that masks used in hospitals are disposed of as medical waste, and masks used in other places can be disinfected by spraying with alcohol before being discarded.