As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread its wings throughout the world, more information is becoming known about this novel disease.
For one, it is now clear that wearing face coverings can help curb the spread of the virus. It is also understood that certain masks can protect the wearer, while others safeguard those around them. These observations have helped reduce the transmission of the disease and supported those who are working on the frontlines to keep everyone else safe.
Take the N95 mask, for instance. Healthcare experts and industrial professionals who used them in highly specialized settings mostly knew this year, these face-pieces or wearable respirators. However, as COVID-19 took the world by storm, these accessories broke into mainstream news within Canada and other parts of the world.
To see why you may need these respirators, how should you use them, and where to get them in Canada, here is a lowdown on these specialized masks.
The N95 Mask is designated for Professional Use Only
In Canada, the N95 respirator is available through various credible retailers such as 72hours.ca. However, before you set out on the search for these masks, it is essential to understand that professionals from select industries designate them for use. As such, the public in everyday settings does not manufacture them for usage.
As a particulate filtering respirator, the N95 is designed to filter at least 95 percent of airborne particles. As the wearer breathes in the air around them, this air-purifying respirator cleans it in real-time before letting it pass through the mask.
This makes the respirator an ideal piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers and construction experts who need to breathe in clean air while working in hazardous situations. It is important to note that the respirator doesn’t work as effectively on chemicals or gases, which is why it’s not a replacement for conditions with toxic materials.
How Does It Help Against Coronavirus?
As mentioned above, the N95 mask cleans 95 percent of micro particles in the air, which is also, where it gets its name. This includes ultra-fine particles in dust, fumes, and mist.
Since the virus that causes COVID-19 is transmitted through respiratory droplets from an infected person, this mechanism can effectively filter it before delivering clean air to the N95 mask’s wearer. This makes it an essential piece of PPE for healthcare workers, who spend their time surrounded by COVID-19 patients and their respiratory droplets.
It is due to this reason that the respirator has become such a popular accessory during the novel coronavirus era. Since global health experts and researchers encourage the public to wear masks outside of their homes, the N95 respirator’s effectiveness makes it stand out as a viable choice against COVID-19.
With that being said, the mask serves an entirely different purpose than the type of face coverings recommended for the public. It is essential to understand this distinction before you purchase this respirator for your general use.
The Respirator is Completely Different from Other Masks
The type of masks recommended for the public serve a specific purpose of absorbing the wearer’s respiratory droplets. This includes surgical or medical masks as well as homemade cloth masks. Since COVID-19 can be spread through asymptomatic cases that show no signs of the disease, putting on a general mask goes a long way. By absorbing the wearer’s respiratory droplets, these surgical or cloth masks reduce the chances of infected patients spreading the virus to others.
On the other hand, the N95 mask cleans out external air for the wearer and does filter the exhaled air out of the mask. If the wearer has a COVID-19 infection, they can spread the disease to other people around them. This holds whether the infected person is asymptomatic, shows mild symptoms, or displays severe disease signs.
You must keep this information in mind. If you do not work in the healthcare, construction, or another related industry where the respirator can protect you from hazardous particles, you should choose to wear a general mask instead. Otherwise, you can put those around you in harm’s way.
You Can Find These Respirators in Canada across Select Locations
When the COVID-19 outbreak was at its peak in Canada, and many other countries, the accessibility to PPE posed a massive challenge for healthcare workers. This got to the point where some of the world’s largest hospitals ran short of providing their staff with the required equipment.
As a result, the accessibility to items in the PPE category was restricted and controlled in many regions. This was to ensure that only those in dire need of this specialized equipment could purchase them.
Now that several manufacturers have increased their production capacity and many countries have flattened the epidemic curve of COVID-19 cases, accessing an N95 mask is not difficult anymore. By reaching out to a provider such as 72hours.ca, you can get your respirators without any issues.
With that being said, you should ensure that you are only purchasing these respirators for a specialized setting such as a healthcare facility or a construction business. It is also essential to keep in mind that these N95 masks are professionally fitted for each use for the required performance and protection. If you put these masks on without a proper fitting, they will not protect you from micro particles.
It is also crucial to note that these respirators fall under the category of single-use masks. While you can clean and disinfect select models, it is recommended that you use a replacement after each use in most settings. This is a critical point to remember in healthcare settings where you or your employees are battling COVID-19 on the frontline.
As long as you keep these factors in mind, you can quickly obtain your required respirators and use them within your organization within any issues.
