Why Mask is Important to wear ?

MAsK...

Surgical Mask:

Ø  What is Surgical Mask and what are itx Benefits….

        A surgical mask, also known as a procedure mask, is intended to be worn by health professionals during surgery and at other times to catch the bacteria shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose. Its first recorded use was by the French surgeon Paul Berger during an 1897 operation in Paris.

Surgical masks are also used by the general public in heavily populated countries in East Asia to reduce the chance of spreading airborne diseases. In Japan, it is common to wear a face mask whilst ill to avoid infecting others in public settings. Surgical masks were widely used in China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Toronto, Canada during outbreaks of the SARS virus, during the 2007 bird flu epidemic in Japan as well as in the USA and Mexiico City during the 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak, also known as the swine flu. It is also worn by people in dusty environments such as sanitation workers.

Ø  USAGE:

        Simple surgical masks protect wearers from being splashed in the mouth with body fluids and to prevent transmission of body fluids from the medical professional to the patient. They also remind wearers not to touch their mouth or nose, which could otherwise transfer viruses and bacteria after having touched a contaminated surface (fomite).

They can also reduce the spread of infectious liquid droplets (carrying bacteria or viruses) that are created when the wearer coughs or sneezes. They are not designed to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne bacteria or viruses particles. They will trap some particles but are much less effective than respirators, which are designed for this purpose.

Safety guidelines for healthcare workers recommend the wearing of a face-fit tested respirator mask conforming to United States standard NIOSH N95 or European standard EN 149 FFP3 in the vicinity of pandemic-flu patients, to reduce the exposure of the wearer to potentially infectious aerosols and airborne liquid droplets.

CDC provides additional information on manufacturers' products, as well as the importance of correct fitting of such masks (respirators). A printable factsheet has been designed for issue to those unaccustomed to respirator use.

In community settings, according to the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in its guidance regarding the 2009 swine flu outbreak, the use of facemask must be coupled with other measures such as avoiding close contact and maintaining good hand hygiene to reduce the risk of getting influenza.

Cotton and gauze masks are also available but they do not serve as surgical masks as they do not offer adequate filtration of microbes. Some people wear these over a normal surgical mask as they often feature patterns and designs that are more attractive and fashionable.

Cryptomeria japonica discharges a large amount of pollen in spring. To prevent allergic rhinitis with the pollen of Cryptomeria japonica, the mask is multi-user in Japan.

In Japan and Taiwan, it is common to see these masks worn as a show of consideration for others and social responsibility.

Ø  Developments :

       Several new masks are about to market new mask features. One feature is a no-strap design that uses adhesive to secure the mask to the face, leaving no gaps. Another is a PIT mask that is inserted up each nostril. The PIT mask is becoming more popular in western countries as the mask is not visible unlike the standard mask.

Ø  Non health-related uses:

       The mythological figure Kuchisake Onna is commonly seen with a surgical mask to hide the scars on her mouth. Pop star Michael Jackson often wore a surgical mask when in public to conceal his identity.

As many people are suffering from flu and wearing a mask to avoid transmission of disease recently, however, we notice that most of the person did not wear a face mask correctly. Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to introduce you the correct way of wearing a face mask.

Correct method to wear a face mask and its disposal:

For example:

v  A green and white surgical mask, the white side is used to prevent virus.

v  If you are sick or fear of transmitting the virus to others, the white side should be facing inside while the green side should be facing outward.

v  If you are healthy and just wearing a mask to prevent infected by virus, the white side should be facing outward while the green side will be facing inside.

v  Please fix the iron bars facing outward on your nose to prevent hurting your skin and it must fully cover your nose and mandible.

v  In addition, the mask shall be disposed with the white side rolled up since it is likely to be contaminated by virus with the green side facing outward and then disposed properly.