It is scientifically believed that coronavirus is largely transmitted through particles containing the virus that people emit through sneezing, coughing, speaking, or even breathing. N95 face mask are said to block almost all of these spreads. However, not all people get access to the N95 Masks since they are in short supply even for the health workers, which cannot be enough for the entire population. For a face mask to be embraced by the general public, they have to have some basic features, which include:
1. Protection
The protection level is based on the level of necessity of defense against aerosols. Good protection is a result of good deflection, filtration, and fit. Although N95 Masks are usually reserved for medical staff members, there should be masks made with the same level of protection. Manufacturers should look for materials that can work to produce better protection as the N95s, which filtrates almost 95% of the viral particles and other contaminations if worn correctly. Although other masks also help protect and help curb the spread, it is best to consider the one that provides the best protection. Many types of face masks are available in the market; you have to choose the one that suits you.
2. Reusability
Not all individuals are willing to spend their money over and over again purchasing a face mask. A good mask should preclude a constant need for new masks by being possible to easily be cleaned or only have to replace certain parts, making it possible to be used repeatedly. Some industrial plants and construction sites have been using elastomeric masks which meet these requirements. Besides N95s used by medical staff, elastomeric has begun to be used in some hospitals.
3. Scalability
Different material designs used in making masks should be commonly available to allow commercial manufacturers to buy in large quantities. Different materials should be used in various multiple designs so as not to rely on one set of materials that could run out. The main reason why masks are the best option to contain the spread of the disease is that they can be scaled more readily and widely, unlike testing and contact tracing.
4. The Style
For the masks to be embraced by different kinds of individuals, the manufacturers should be ready to embrace different styles of fashions. To significantly embrace the new culture of wearing the masks, they should be made to at least appealing to the eye. A great mask should be cool, fun, and fashionable. For instance, they should be made to have colours or logos of a favourite team or brands of different individuals.
5. Comfortability
A good mask should be comfortable enough for individuals to wear them for a long time without wanting to touch or take them off too frequently. While still preserving your mask’s protection, there should be ways in which this can be achieved.
After an effective design has been made, the challenge may come in getting enough individuals to wear them in the critical scenarios. However, it is not easy to wear masks all the time, no matter how comfortable they are. Therefore, you need to identify the most critical times that you have to wear your masks. For instance, it is essential to wear masks in crowded places, in prolonged closed contact with others, and engage in heavy breathing activities such as exercise.
Even if the masks are made having all the best features with excellent protection as the N95 masks and are not worn properly, they won’t have any impact. You should wear masks to help curb the spread to help bring the economy back to normal.
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