Medical Face Mask
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A Medical Face Mask is a functional face task that is intended to prevent infections in patients and treating personnel by catching bacteria shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose.
- AKA: Surgical Mask.
- Example(s):
- …
- Counter-Example(s):
- See: Youth Culture, Health Professional, Bacteria, Respiratory Droplet, Aerosol, Centers For Disease Control And Prevention, Airborne Disease, Virus, Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, Nature (Journal), Randomized Controlled Trial, Emerging Infectious Diseases (Journal).
References
2021
- (Wikipedia, 2021) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surgical_mask Retrieved:2021-1-13.
- A surgical mask, also known as a medical face mask, is intended to be worn by health professionals during healthcare procedures. Surgical masks are intended to prevent infections in patients and treating personnel by catching bacteria shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose. They are not designed to protect the wearer from breathing in airborne bacteria or viruses whose particles are smaller, but could be protective because viruses on droplets are filtered-out. There is a predominance of evidence that surgical masks protect both the wearer and persons near the wearer from the spreading of viruses. Surgical masks were originally designed to protect medical personnel from splashes or sprays of bodily fluids, but the effectiveness of surgical masks against influenza-like infections has not been confirmed by high-quality randomized controlled trials. Surgical masks vary by quality and levels of protection. Despite their name, not all surgical masks are appropriate to be used during surgery. Surgical masks may be labeled as surgical, isolation, dental, or medical procedure masks. Chinese health officials distinguish between medical (non-surgical) and surgical masks. Surgical masks are made of a nonwoven fabric created using a melt blowing process. They came into use in the 1960s and largely replaced cloth facemasks in developed countries. The dark blue (or green) side of the mask (the fluid-repellant layer) is to be worn outward, with the white (absorbent) layer on the inside. With respect to some infections like influenza surgical masks could be as effective (or ineffective) as respirators, such as N95 or FFP masks; though the latter provide better protection in laboratory experiments due to their material, shape and tight seal. The use of surgical masks during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a subject of debate, as shortages of surgical masks is a central issue. Surgical masks are popularly worn by the general public all year round in East Asian countries like China, Japan and South Korea to reduce the chance of spreading airborne diseases to others, and to prevent the breathing in of airborne dust particles created by air pollution. (Dust masks are more effective against pollution.) Additionally, surgical masks have become a fashion statement, particularly in contemporary East Asian culture bolstered by its popularity in Japanese and Korean pop culture which have a big impact on East Asian youth culture. How K-Pop Revived Black Sickness Masks In Japan | Kotaku Australia </ref>