Do I still need to wear a mask after I test positive? Which mask is the most effective? Find out in one article!

Do I need to continue wearing a mask after testing positive?

How to choose a mask?

Correct wearing and removal of masks

What is the storage method?

Learn more in one article

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01

Do I need to continue wearing a mask after testing positive?

On December 26, Zhang Daitao, director of the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Endemic Diseases Control of Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, reminded citizens to continue wearing masks and take personal protection after testing positive to protect themselves and others .

Zhang Daitao explained that after a person is infected with the novel coronavirus, the immune system will clear the virus through cellular immunity and inflammatory response, which will cause congestion and edema in the human respiratory tract, and even damage such as bleeding spots. "At this time, the human respiratory mucosa is very fragile and has insufficient resistance to pathogens other than the novel coronavirus, so it is necessary to wear a mask to protect the respiratory tract and avoid overlapping infections with other bacteria and viruses."

At present, many people judge themselves as "positive and healthy" by negative antigen tests and reduced symptoms, and the sensitivity of antigen tests is lower than that of nucleic acid tests. Zhang Daitao said that this kind of "positive and healthy" does not mean that the virus is completely gone in the body. Wearing a mask can effectively reduce the risk of infection for people around you, especially the elderly and vulnerable people with chronic underlying diseases .

02

Which masks have epidemic prevention functions?

Can KN95 masks prevent epidemics?

When you get a mask, you should first look at the words and pictures on the outer packaging and look for the "product standard" on the outer packaging. For example, if the product standard starts with YY 0469, then it is a medical surgical mask and is suitable for public use.

There are five codes that can meet the epidemic prevention requirements:

Medical protective masks (GB19083-2010)

Medical surgical mask (YY0469-2011)

Disposable medical masks (YY/T 0969-2013)

Daily protective masks (GB/T 32610-2016)

Children's masks (GB/T 38880-2020)

In addition to the masks listed in the information, there are also masks of different materials and patterns. It is difficult to tell the difference between many masks from the appearance; but the implementation standards marked on the packaging can distinguish whether they can play a protective role. Masks that do not adopt relevant standards are likely to only have aesthetic or warming effects.

KN95 and N95 masks can be used for the protection of the new coronavirus. However, they are different from the mask types corresponding to the above five standards. They belong to the type of "particulate protection masks" . The corresponding standards include China's national standard " GB 2626 "Respiratory Protection Self-priming Filter-type Anti-particulate Respirator", "US NIOSH (US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) certification", "European EN149", etc. At present, KN95 or N95 masks are different from "medical protective masks", "medical surgical masks", "disposable medical masks", etc., and are not regulated as medical devices. However, many authoritative organizations have given positive responses to their protective effects.

For example, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention clearly stated that the barrier capacity of particulate protection masks is the same as that of medical protective masks . In emergency situations, they can be used as a supplement to medical protective masks, but they cannot be used in areas with hygiene requirements such as operating rooms. They can be used for people with higher risk of exposure, such as medical staff working in emergency departments, field epidemiological investigators, etc.

03

Ordinary mask knot

Can it be turned into an N95 mask?

A video circulating online claims that by folding an ordinary mask in half and tying the ear straps on both sides before wearing it, the mask can be made more airtight and achieve the effect of an N95 mask. This statement is exaggerated.

In terms of materials and protection levels, the filtering capacity of N95 masks is higher than that of disposable medical masks and daily protective masks. The difference lies in the difference in meltblown fabrics used in different types of masks. Although knotting the mask ear straps can improve the fit between the mask and the face, it cannot change the material of the mask itself, so the effect of "converting an ordinary mask into an N95 mask" cannot be achieved .

But what you must do is to make sure that the mask fits your face as closely as possible when you wear it . Regardless of the type of mask, you should pay attention to tightening the nose clip at the bridge of the nose and pay attention to the fit of the mask around the face. If the ear straps are too long, you can shorten them by tying them; if the mask is too big or too small, you can choose masks of different specifications according to your face shape.

04

Wear two regular masks at the same time

Can it provide double the protection?

Wearing two layers of masks not only fails to increase safety, but may also cause the masks to shift due to friction between each other, which in turn affects the airtightness of the mask .

In daily protection, choose a mask of appropriate size according to your face shape, and pay attention to the fit of the mask to your face.

05

Correct wearing, removal and storage of masks

Source: Beijing Daily, Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, Shanghai Internet rumor refutation

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