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Wearing face masks is one way to protect against the transmission of the coronavirus. However, the desire to put on these masks in designated places is diminishing. A Canadian epidemiologist emphasizes that we must not neglect this. And in the face of the Omikron variant, it is important not only to wear the mask, but also its type. A surgical mask may not provide adequate protection.
- The Omikron variant is probably in all countries of the world, said the head of the WHO recently
- How to protect yourself from it? One way to do this will be to wear an appropriate mask, believes a Canadian epidemiologist
- With such a contagious variant, we should wear the N95 (FFP2) mask instead of the surgical mask, he emphasizes
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Omikron variant – the FFP2 mask will be more effective
The Omikron variant is becoming more common in Canada. According to the GISAID database, 58 cases have been detected there so far. According to the local epidemiologist Colin Furness, the key to reducing the number of coronavirus cases will be wearing N95 masks (FFP2) in public places. Instead of the more popular surgical masks.
Furness believes that in the early days of the pandemic, when masks were made mandatory, there was a strong belief in the public that masks should be worn to protect against infection. But now we are in “a completely different place”.
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– We must remember, however, that the air route is not one of the possibilities, but the main way of transmitting COVID-19, especially in the case of the more contagious variants – he emphasized.
“If you are vaccinated, you do not wear a mask to protect others from yourself, but yourself from the air other people exhale,” he said.
The epidemiologist reminds that there is a very large selection of N95 (FFP2) masks on the market, which must meet quality standards, according to which the filtration efficiency must be 95%.
– There are many types, but they all have the same advantage – they stick to the face without creating gaps on the side. It’s an effective security measure in public places, Furness says.
If you are looking for a mask that suits you, go to Medonet Market and order the selected type.
When it comes to disposable surgical masks, they provide good protection, but because they can stick out, they lose their effectiveness.
“The N95 mask may not fit perfectly, but it will always fit at least as well as the surgical mask, but better in most cases,” he points out.
How to check if the mask is working?
In the case of surgical masks, it is important, Furness emphasizes, that they have three layers: two fabric layers and one layer of polypropylene. He adds that many of them are not perfect when it comes to filtering aerosols.
The epidemiologist also suggests how to check whether the mask protects to the appropriate extent. – Once put on, the mask should work back and forth while breathing, but still fit snugly against the face, he says.
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He also warns that the surgical mask may also seem to fit tightly, but it is not. – It’s because of the right angle that the wire forms on the nose. And something rectangular won’t fit snugly against a face that’s not flat, ‘she explains.
Do you want to strengthen your protection against the coronavirus? You can buy a set of filtering masks at medonetmarket.pl
The Omikron variant could collapse the healthcare system
In Ontario, where Furness comes from, an increase in coronavirus infections is seen, possibly related to the arrival of the Omikron variant. Dr Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer, said the new variant is much more portable than the Delta variant, infecting four to eight times as many people.
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“ Omicron doesn’t have to make COVID-19 more severe, but it could crash our healthcare system anyway. If there are one million infected people at the same time, we won’t be able to provide hospital beds for those who need them, and that will translate into higher death rates, Furness said.
– It will come very soon. Its case-doubling time is very short. In the next two or three weeks something will happen that we have never seen before. To get rid of this variant, you will need booster vaccinations or wearing N95 masks, or you will have to close many places – added the epidemiologist.
Also read:
- How Much Does COVID-19 Treatment Cost At Home? Here is my kit
- This is how the coronavirus kills. The doctor tells you what “fails” in the body
- Dr. Fauci: The third dose protects against the Omicron. “The message remains clear”
- Doctor Cautions: Omikron and Delta May Create a New Coronavirus Super Variant
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