Tag Archives: Surgical Masks

Best Materials to Use for Face Masks

After watching surgeon general’s Twitter video on face masks, doctor sent him research on the best materials to use

By

Elisabeth Buchwald

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/some-fabrics-are-more-effective-than-others-for-making-diy-face-masks-heres-which-ones-are-best-2020-04-07

Scott Segal, chairman of anesthesiology at Wake Forest Baptist Health, met Jerome Adams on Feb. 4 when Trump’s surgeon general visited the North Carolina medical facility to discuss HIV in Indiana and the opioid crisis

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams posted a video demonstrating how to make a face covering from a T-shirt. Shortly before the video was posted, the CDC recommended that all Americans wear a such a cloth covering in public settings.

U.S. Surgeon General

After a reversal late last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all Americans wear a facial cloth covering in public settings.

To preserve the supply of N95 and surgical masks for health-care workers treating patients who have contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, the CDC has advised all Americans to instead wear (and routinely wash) “cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.” Examples include grocery stores and pharmacies, the CDC says.

Scott Segal, chairman of anesthesiology at Wake Forest Baptist Health in North Carolina, studies the effectiveness of materials used to make homemade masks.

But some of the materials you can use to make do-it-yourself face masks offer more protection than others. The CDC’s recommendation comes following numerous reports on transmission of COVID-19 from asymptomatic people.

These people don’t have fevers, coughs or runny noses or other common symptoms of COVID-19, and may be unknowingly spreading the virus to others, according to one study published earlier this month, which examined infections of residents of a nursing home in King County, Wash.

Because seemingly healthy people could end up infecting someone, public-health officials are now recommending that all Americans wear a face covering in public, but still advise against buying surgical N95 masks, as they say there is a shortage of these medical-grade masks in hospitals, and they’re needed by health-care workers who are putting their lives on the line.

(***Ed. Note: This post is older and now there are plenty N95 masks available for the general public. To buy KN95 Masks at Target, click here. KN95 Masks on Amazon, click here.)

On Feb. 29, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said he was against members of the public wearing face masks, and tweeted, “Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching COVID, but if health-care providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!”

By April 4, Adams changed his stance and released a video on Twitter detailing how to make your own mask. Adams suggested using items you could find around the house like “an old scarf, a bandanna or a hand towel … or an old T-shirt,” to make a mask. He folded the material over several times to make the improvised face mask as nonporous as possible; Adams also added two rubber bands to hang it in place around his ears.

 

(***Ed. Note: To buy KN95 Masks at Target, click here. KN95 Masks on Amazon, click here.)

How To Clean A Fabric Coronavirus Face Mask

How To Clean A Fabric Coronavirus Face Mask And How Often _ HuffPost Life,…

is just as important as wearing them to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

By Vartika Puranik
04/10/2020 05:45am EDT

As we continue our fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention recommend wearing a face mask in public while
shopping for essential items. It is especially advisable for people living in areas
hit hard by the spread of the COVID-19 disease. But there’s one thing many of us
don’t realize: Washing face masks is as important as wearing them.

Ever since the global pandemic hit us, researchers have been studying how long
it can live on various surfaces. A new report published in The Lancet says the
infectious virus could still be present on the outer layer of a mask for up to seven
days.

“Strikingly, a detectable level of the infectious virus could still be present on the
outer layer of a surgical mask on Day Seven,” the researchers wrote. They also concluded      that various disinfectants can be used to kill the novel coronavirus to clean the mask properly. We reached out to some experts to find out how to effectively wash face masks.

How To Clean A Fabric Coronavirus Face Mask And How Often | HuffPost Life 4/11/20

Is your mask susceptible to the virus?
Homemade masks are definitely susceptible to viruses. Wearing a mask reduces
the concentration of virus particles that can be inhaled from respiratory droplets,
which in turn reduces the transmission of COVID-19, but masks can also carry
the virus.

“Cotton cloth is not designed to fully filter virus particles in the nanometer range. However, it could be very helpful for asymptomatic individuals who would normally be wearing nothing,” said Rodney Rohde, associate dean for research at the College of Health Professions at Texas State University. Dimitar Marinov, assistant professor in the department of hygiene at the Medical University of Varna, told HuffPost that up to 97% of the air’s virus particles can easily penetrate cloth masks. “This is why we advise the use of cloth masks as a method to protect others but not for self-protection,” he added.

How often should we wash our masks?                                                                                            The C.D.C. recommends washing your mask at least once a day. “It should be washed typically when you are done with it,” Rhode said.

Robert Amler, dean of the School of Health Sciences and Practice at New York Medical College and a former C.D.C. chief medical officer, suggested washing your fabric mask after every use. “Avoid touching your face and wash your hands before and after,” he said.

Emily de Golian, a board-certified dermatologist at Dermatology Consultants in
Georgia, told us that, ideally, masks shouldn’t be worn for more than 30 minutes
because the dampness from our breath makes it less effective as a barrier against
coronavirus transmission.

If you’re a frontline worker or spend your time in public where social distancing
measures are difficult to maintain, consider washing your fabric mask every two
hours, if possible, Marinov advised. What’s the best way to wash and dry a fabric face
mask? It is important to note that detergents with bleach-like compounds or other
active ingredients should be used when washing masks. Those kill microbes
more effectively than standard detergents, Rhodes explained.

Machine washing is optimal, and the material of your face mask will determine
the temperature of the water. “Fabric masks can be washed in the warmest
possible water that the fabric will tolerate,” de Golian said. Marinov advised keeping                  the World Health Organization’s specifications in mind. “The temperature should be                   at least 60 degrees Celsius [140 degrees Fahrenheit]. We do not have studies on SARS-CoV-2, but the similar SARS-CoV1 dies quickly at temperatures above 60,” he said.

You can also disinfect masks by ironing or putting them in an oven for 20 minutes at           about 160 degrees Fahrenheit, Marinov said. If hand washing is your only option,                      de Golian suggested lathering the masks with soap and scrubbing them for at least 20 seconds with warm to hot water. “Washing should be followed by hot air drying,” Almer said.

Dry your mask on the highest possible heat the fabric will allow. Again, this will
depend on what material was used to construct your mask.

A HuffPost Guide To Coronavirus
Stay up to date with our blog as we cover the COVID-19 pandemic.
Everything you need to know about face masks right now.
How long are asymptomatic carriers contagious?
What to do if you can’t pay rent now?
How to switch off from work when home is your office?
8 sleep tips if coronavirus anxiety is keeping you up at night.
How long does coronavirus live in the air?
The HuffPost guide to working from home
What coronavirus questions are on your mind right now?                                                                    We want to help you find answers.
Everyone deserves accurate information about COVID-19.

 

(***Ed. Note: To buy KN95 Masks at Target, click here. KN95 Masks on Amazon, click here.)