How long do you wear N95 masks at a time?

 Various places are looting masks, manufacturers work overtime to produce, and dispose of masks after use. In the face of this epidemic of fighting coronavirus pneumonia, "N95 masks" have become a sensitive word affecting social nerves.

 

What is the N95 mask that everyone seeks?

 

N95 is not a specific product name, but a standard. Products reviewed by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) can be called "N95 masks."

 

"N" means not resistant to oil, "95" means that under the specified number of special test particles, the particle concentration inside the mask is more than 95% lower than the particle concentration outside the mask. The protection level of N95 means that under the testing conditions specified in the NIOSH standard, the filtering efficiency of the mask filter material to non-oily particles (such as dust, acid mist, paint mist, microorganisms, etc.) reaches 95%. The N95 mask is one of the nine particulate protective masks certified by NIOSH.

 

Generally speaking, N95 masks and KN95 masks have the same protective effect. The difference is that KN meets Chinese standards and N meets American standards.

 

In China, KN95 means that the filtration efficiency for non-oily particles above 0.075 microns is greater than 95%. In the NIOSH standard, N95 has a 95% blocking success rate for particles with a diameter of 0.075 microns.

 

Because the diameter of the coronavirus pneumonia (SARS) virus is about 0.1 to 0.12 microns, N95 or KN95 masks can be used, which are both feasible prevention methods.

 

In addition, medical surgical masks can block 70% of bacteria, while N95 masks can block 95% of bacteria, and the shielding effect is stronger.

 

Paper masks, activated carbon masks, cotton masks and sponge masks are not compact enough to prevent infection.

 

How long do you wear a mask at a time?

 

The placement of medical protective masks is very important, otherwise even if the correct mask is purchased, errors will also affect the filtering effect.

 

Liang Jiansheng, director of the Institute of Disinfection and Vector Control, Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, introduced the following specific steps:

 

1. Hold the protective mask with one hand and extend the back with the nose clip;

 

2. Cover the nose, mouth and chin with the protective mask, and the nose clip should be close to the face;

 

3. Use the other hand to pull the lower strap over the top of the head and place it under the ears behind the neck;

 

4. Pull the upper strap to the middle of the head;

 

5. Put the tips of your fingers on the metal nose clip, start from the middle position, align the nose clip inward, move and insert it to both sides, and shape the nose clip according to the shape of the nose bridge.