In the outbreak of corona disease, medical masks are recommended every day to limit the spread of infection in the community. However, the consequence of the widely used medical masks is the scarcity of face masks in shops and supermarkets, making it difficult to buy masks. So they are now being reused – even though it’s not as effective. So can a face mask be reused and how many times are it used? Find out detail information below.
How many times can medical masks be used?
In terms of reuse criteria, there are 2 types of medical face masks as reusable and disposable face masks. One-time use is cheap, more popular, handy, so it is more widely used.
Disposable medical masks usually have 1-3 layers, recommended by the manufacturer to use only once, if reused this mask, its use will be greatly reduced.
Medical face masks are for single use only. If your mask is broken or dirty or you find it difficult to breathe when wearing, you should remove the mask, remove the mask properly and replace it with a new medical mask or other type of mask.
Because of the structure of the Health mask, there are usually three layers, and in particular, the middle layer retains water droplets that may contain pathogenic germs that are splashed when you cough. In addition, masks can also filter dust, bacteria to create a breath for users to easily breathe when wearing.
Because of these features, after use, the Health mask is a germ containing many germs that affect your health if not removed immediately after one use.
Check this blog for detail guide of medical expert for how to use the face mask
If the mask is in the shortage, you can reuse the mask, but keep the following in mind:
- Touch as little of its surface as possible, use the ear straps to remove and handle the mask. Majority of virus particles would be on the front, so avoid touching that part of the mask. (Watch this video for more detail)
- After safely remove the SURGICAL FACE MASK, place it in a convenient but safe storage spot. Jade Flinn, MSN, the nurse educator for the Biocontainment Unit at Johns Hopkins Medicine, recommend placing masks in paper bags or other “clean receptacles” with good ventilation that allow the mask to “air out.”
- Should not clean the face mask as it will damage the structure of the face mask and reduce the protective effectiveness, it is better leave it out about 48 hours after reuse as viruses would no longer be viable after 24 to 48 hours.
Reference source: https://www.cdc.gov, https://who.int
