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The Preventive Abilities of Masks against the Covid-19 Pandemic

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The onset of the covid-19 the pandemic has put the world in a difficult position. Almost all industries across the globe and the public sphere have been negatively impacted in some way. And the signs are still not good everywhere; with rising cases of infections and death that do not discriminate between race, status, or religion. For the first time, entire world seems united on a course to face a common enemy. Media recordings of infection rates and deaths are obviously understated as it there are circumstances where people get a mild form of the virus and do not get a test; the true statistics regarding the virus spread is certainly higher.

The virus is spread mainly through 

  1. surface transmission, 
  2. larger aerial water droplets sneezed out and, 
  3. smaller aerosol particles floating in the air caused by the mere breath by infected persons. 

These modes of transmission are simplistic and touch on the basic modes of communication and association by a majority of people, meaning that the best defense against covid-19 is certainly to self-isolate infinitely. This is practically impossible since human wiring is socially inclined. As advised by public health officials we are best mitigating the risk though social distancing, frequent washing of hands using soap and sanitizers and the wearing of face masks in public situations.

The use of face masks as deterrents is important but they serve to prevent mostly large water droplet particles and not small aerosol particles. This is because the large particles are heavy and fall to the floor or other surface. But the tiny aerosol partcles float about in the air we breath. So if we are wearing a mask with any gaps, then we can still get infected as air can bypass the mask filters and be breathed in.

Basically there are three types of masks; surgical masks, N95 masks and cloth masks - and they are in demand! Surgical masks work against water droplets and aerosols to an extent. At the bottom of the chain are cloth masks. N95 Masks and Kn95 masks are actually a type of respirator with ability filter out both water droplet and aerosol particles. You can get a whole range of face masks at Paragon Tools, from surgicals, kids masks and N95 masks.

But it is useful to remember that the type of mask you use largely depends on differences in risk areas. As an example, medical personnel are supplied with N95 and Kn95 masks that are most effective in stopping water droplet and aerosol particles from entering the body through the nostrils and mouth since they spend a lot of time in infested places. Other types of masks may be used in lower risk areas and have been proven to be effective, when you are shopping in a community with low prevalance of the virus the basic examination mask is sufficient (Reference: https://vidar.com.au/the-truth-about-how-face-masks-works-to-stop-the-spread-of-covid-19/). Wearing masks are preventive both ways, the sick keep the virus from propagating outwards while the uninfected use masks to prevent entry.

Certainly, the use of typical masks coupled with effective application of the other preventive measures offer better protection against the rapid spread of the virus. It is noteworthy that asymptomatic people play a huge role in spreading the virus since they do not depict any symptoms at all. Masks are therefore advised, especially in public gatherings since the history of interactions of the majority of people is not known. For more information regarding face masks, visit https://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/art-and-architecture/art-general/mask.