All of a sudden we will all wake up one day and say to our children, sons and daughters, that is how i survivved the worse pandemic in the 21th century. You might be thinking i am referring to Covid 19. No not at all. What if there is another big disease of even higher mortality rate than Covid 19. It sounds like a conspiracy theory. Note; im not here to scare you but to caution you. Covid 19 is just a preparation towards a much deadly virus which may or may never be unleashed on Mankind. Let me not get over myself too much and lets talk reality.
It is now obligatory to wear mask in the streets of Sunyani per the advise from experts. We are all supposed to be in N95 nose masks to protect us and others from possible infection. The N95 nose mask is a tight face mask when worn prevents entry of any pathogen into the facial cavities of the body, the mouth and the nose to be precise. This is not the only type of face mask available in the market but its robust features such as filtering 95% of very small particles the size of sprays and splashes including viruses and bacteria.
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Aside these able face mask lies cloth face masks which have flooded the markets of Ghana. Infact, about 0.9% of the population are using the recommended face masks whiles the rest of the populace has resorted to the much cheaper masks. They say; little protection is better than no protection as the importation of N95 masks are highly regulated and cannot be found in large stocks in the country. The home made cloth face mask provides protection but its not absolute. This is due to the variation of cloth texture used. Some of the cloths are very porous and allow particles of viral size to penetrate easily. Also, contamination and reuse is of the essence when cloth face mask is to be used. There should be proper washing with disinfection in between each days use.
Even though they provide limited protection, they are highly effective when used appropriately with additional protocols in mind.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Last of the masks which i have been seeing circulating on the market are surgical masks. THey are the masks used in theatres by surgeons. They are very porous and does not filter out small aerosol particles. As such the SARS-CoV-2 virus penetrates and infects individuals wearing these masks. Note: Surgical masks are disposable. As such avoid reusing them.
Thank you for reading. Note; Cloth face masks might not be the best but it really helps save a lot of people from spread with the proper etiquette. Lets stop the spread by wearing a mask.