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Wearing a mask lowers the risk of transmitting infections to others, which in turn prevents the spread of disease and helps keep you safe. Furthermore, although disposable surgical masks and cloth masks are said to have low effectiveness when it comes to stopping the virus from getting in, they do prevent droplets from entering the nose and mouth directly.
Here, we have assembled some knowledge to answer your mask questions.
A surgical mask is a three-layered mask made according to American medical standards. These masks have a PFE (Particle Filtration Efficiency) of 95% or more, making them fit for use in surgical procedures. The middle layer serves as the main filter.
Important: there is a shortage of surgical masks in the medical field, so we should not be hoarding them. Instead, to help in the fight against coronavirus, we ought to be making masks ourselves, which we disinfect and reuse. Read on to learn how.
Sterilising Masks for Reuse
Learn how to safely sterilise cloth masks and surgical masks.
Cloth Masks
Wash your cloth mask as usual with detergent or soap and then dry. The virus will now be deactivated.
Surgical Masks
A surgical mask's effectiveness will be reduced if it gets wet, and the internal filter will deteriorate at temperatures above 80°C, meaning it must not be ironed.
So, how do you sterilise a surgical mask while retaining its effectiveness?
Step 1:
Place the mask into a Ziploc bag or similar, push all of the air out and seal tightly.
Step 2:
Fill a container with 70°C water, immerse the Ziploc and leave for one hour. You must maintain the temperature of the water, for example, by using a low-temperature cooker. The virus will now be deactivated.
This method allows us to reuse surgical masks while retaining effectiveness appropriate for use in a medical setting. If you are content for your mask to function as a cloth mask, it can also be washed as described above.
Source
Here is an easy way to make a mask out of a long sleeved shirt or sweatshirt.
The HK mask, developed in Hong Kong, is a typical way to make a cloth mask.
Face mask cover
A cover for your surgical mask can help keep sweat or makeup from making it dirty. However, because it is the inner layers of a surgical mask that are the vital filter, even when using a cover the mask itself should be sterilized every day after use.
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