26 January 2021
By Roger Jones
roger@TheCork.ie
As time moved on we have moved from no one wearing masks, to now seeing them worn even outdoors.
With the rising impacts of the pandemic, wearing masks have become mandatory for everyone across the world. Not only does it help fight the pandemic, but it also helps control the spread of the virus, which everyone has been consistently dreading.
The Centers for Disease Control has time and time updated people across the world about the rights and wrongs when it comes to wearing a mask and how it affects the lives of the people. That aside, there are a few types of masks that CDC has strictly suggested steering clear off of.
Loosely fitted masks
When suggesting the importance of wearing masks, CDC has been extremely clear about the fact that wearing loosely fitted masks is a big NO. The primary reason behind wearing a mask is to avoid the spread of the virus among the masses, which is one of the main reasons why wearing loosely fitted masks completely ruins the purpose behind wearing the masks. Wearing loosely fitted masks also impact the spread of the virus when you touch your face frequently.
Odd material masks
While surgical masks and normal fabric masks are considered safe for wearing, there is no purpose in wearing odd material masks, especially the ones like leather and plastic. This makes it extremely hard to breathe, especially because of the lack of porous fabric. Wearing a tightly fitted mask is indeed necessary, but then again, wearing something that you can’t breathe through can cause a lot of impacts on your health.
Avoid knitted fabrics
Another type of mask that is a complete miss is the knitted masks, especially the ones made with wool. They make it extremely hard to breathe, make people feel hot, and end up not serving their purpose too. The knitted masks generally don’t restrict the respiratory droplets from spreading, so there is no point wearing them if you are trying to protect yourself or everyone else around you.
Single layered mask
When it comes to wearing masks for shielding yourself from the virus, the ones that don’t work are the single-layered mask. According to CDC, the masks that you are wearing should at least have three layers to ensure the proper protection against the virus. The outer layer needs to be made of water-resistant material while the inside layers should include water absorbing material to absorb in the respiratory droplets from seeping out of the mask.
The ones with exhalation valves
You must have heard the sudden hype surrounding the N95 masks with the exhalation valves, right? Well, according to CDC, wearing those is a big no. They are considered ideal to allow the users to breathe, but they don’t serve the purpose of stopping the spread of the virus, so there is no point investing in the same.
If you are sceptical about Covid-19 and the consistent spread of the same, you must be aware of these shortcomings, especially when it is coming from leading health advisors like CDC.
