Since the beginning of the pandemic, the issue of which masks are protective, their duration of use, which ones should and should not be used has been on the agenda.
The experts, stating that the fabric and black latex masks produced by textile companies, which they claim can be washed and used 20 times, are absolutely not protective, recommend the use of brand and barcode approved surgical masks by the Ministry of Health. Experts state that the probability of the masks causing discomfort such as headache, nausea and vomiting is also very low.
Üsküdar University NPİSTANBUL Brain Hospital Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Specialist Dr. Songül Özer shared important information about which masks can be used against Covid-19, which ones do not have protective properties and their ideal usage times.
Maximum usage time should be 4 hours
Dr. Songül Özer said, "We cannot say that wearing the mask for a long time causes any disease or symptoms in the person" and continued as follows:
“As experts, we have used masks too many and for a long time. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been recommending surgical masks to everyone for months, but we experts use N-95 and N-99 types, and it is very difficult to get air into those masks, and they cannot be used for a long time because the people who use them feel respiratory failure. We have explained the standard usage periods of surgical masks. If there is no underlying disease, a healthy person can easily breathe with a mask for 4 hours. Since it already has pores, even if the edges are closed, the air flow to the nose and mouth is not zero. Surgical masks do not prevent the entrance from the outside, they prevent the wearer from coming out. We do not recommend wearing the surgical mask for more than 4 hours. However, the reason we do not recommend it is not that it harms the person, but that the protective feature of the mask ends. Those pores can be clogged, especially if there is a microorganism, it becomes clogged more quickly and becomes unable to do its main task. It can no longer prevent contagiousness. For this reason, we recommend that it be changed. "
Everyone should wear a mask
Indicating that the person who is actually sick under normal conditions should wear a surgical mask, Özer said, "However, we say that everyone should wear it because we do not know who is sick in this pandemic. It can be positive, so we say 'wear a mask'. There's a misunderstanding. We say that those who are sick should wear it, preventing going out, but on the other hand, there are those who think 'I am not sick, why should I wear it'. We tell those people that they may be asymptomatic, ”he said.
Unlikely to cause nausea and vomiting
Saying that it was unlikely that masks could cause nausea and vomiting, Özer said, “It was said that there was such a case, but even if there was nausea and vomiting, it was not because of that mask. "It is very unlikely that it will cause problems such as nausea, vomiting and headache, no matter how many toxic substances it contains."
The mask is a medical product, not an accessory
"There are masks on the market that are very thin like sieves," warning Dr. Songül Özer continued her words as follows:
“If the back of the mask can be seen very clearly when held towards the light, we can understand that it has no protection. Some masks are really thick, people can believe they have 3 layers. Blow test can also be done. When it is blown your breath should not come out, or at least very little. We have been expressing our opposition to fabric masks since January. These masks are called washable, drying and ironable, but we are definitely against them. All textile companies produce masks with different patterns, like an accessory compatible with clothes. It says they have 20 washes on them, but we don't know who tested for what. Is there an experiment result related to this? It is just spoken verbally and people believe these statements. As with fabric masks, we strongly recommend against black latex masks. The mask is a medical product, its beauty or ugliness should be put aside. "
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