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Author :Dr KK Aggarwal , President CMAAO
Cloth Face Masks at Home
India
healthysoch
New Delhi, April 07, 2020 :
New guidelines on how to use masks when in public:
- Yale Researchers found that the death rate from COVID-19 is up to 10% lower in the countries with masked populations.
- Cloth masks may help with spread of infection when used in conjunction with hand washing and physical distancing.
- One study done in 2013 showed that 100% cotton t-shirts could have 69% effectiveness in protecting against organisms that are sized similar to flu viruses, and linen has 60-61%.
- Do a “light” test: the less light that passes through the mask, the more effective it is.
- People have used old bras
- 2-3 ply masks: extra fabric helps filter out particles.
- Putting a vacuum filter, or even a coffee filter, between layers of fabric may help as it causes some electrostatic friction which may ‘trap’ particles in the mask so you won’t breathe them.
- To sterilize, you need to use the hot water cycle in the washer, and heat dry. For this reason, synthetic fabrics may not be good.
- Take off your mask when you get home. Place it in a plastic bag until you’re ready to do laundry. Masks should be treated as dirty and contaminated after each use.
- Wearing a mask is an add-on, not a replacement, for physical distancing and hand hygiene.
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