Protect My Teachers

N95 Masks as Effective Respirators

 

So, how come these N95 masks are so effective and allow us to keep our hospitals open?

The reason is because they block very small particles, (we are talking .3 microns, which is very, very small). Since Coronavirus is also microscopically tiny, N95s are able to keep them out because they are designed to block these kinds of particles. Also, it is proven that Coronavirus can pass from person to person in tiny droplets called aerosols that waft through the air. N95s protect the wearer because they don’t let aerosols pass through the material itself and because they form a seal around the wearer so no air can make its way in from the sides. Basically, N95s keep the virus from entering your lungs.

 

By the way, N95s have been around for around fifty years, keeping viruses and very small debris from being inhaled. Their safety has been proven.

 

For example, N95 masks have been used to protect people from contracting tuberculosis, which is another disease that is transmitted through breathing near someone who is infected. In fact, 1.5 million people die from tuberculosis each year. It’s very contagious, and you can infect yourself by simply breathing it in.

 

For a more scientific discussion of aerosol transmission, viruses, bacteria, and how the N95 mask keeps you safe, here is a link to start with. It is from BioMed Central, the publisher of hundreds of scientific journals.

 

So, until we have vaccines that are effective and safe, we could wear N95 masks and open back up.

 

On a side note, many N95 masks that you can find online may say seem like legitimate N95s, but are not verified by the CDC, which means that they do not have a filtration that is effective against the virus. Before purchasing any N95s, it is important to read the small text on the mask and verify that it is in fact a reliable brand. Here is one way to verify N95 masks.

 

N95 Masks Versus Cloth Masks

 

Let’s compare N95s to cloth masks. 

 

When N95 masks are worn correctly, they provide virtually perfect protection for you and those around you because the virus is unable to pass through them either way. Some N95s have an exhaust valve which allows air to escape the mask but not come back in. If you tape closed the exhaust valve that's on some of the N95 masks, you also protect anyone around from catching the virus you might be breathing out. That’s how doctors can work in very close quarters with patients sick with the virus, day in and day out, and for the most part, avoid catching it.