Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Brain Hospital Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Specialist Dr. Songül Özer shared important information about which masks can be used against Covid-19, which ones do not have protective properties and ideal usage times.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the issue of which masks are protective, their duration of use, which ones should and should not be used has been on the agenda. Stating that fabric and black latex masks produced by textile companies, which claim that they can be washed and used 20 times, are definitely not protective, experts recommend the use of surgical masks approved by the Ministry of Health for brand and barcode. Experts also state that masks are very unlikely to cause discomfort such as headache, nausea and vomiting.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Specialist Dr. Songül Özer shared important information about which masks can be used against Covid-19, which ones do not have protective properties and ideal usage times.
Maximum usage time should be 4 hours
Prof. Dr. Songül Özer said, "We cannot say that wearing the mask for a long time causes any disease or symptom in the person" and continued her words as follows:
"As experts, we have also used masks in large numbers and for a long time. We have been recommending surgical masks to everyone for months since the pandemic started, but we experts use N-95 and N-99 type, and it is very difficult for air to enter those masks, and people who use them cannot be used for a long time because they feel respiratory failure. We have explained the standard usage times of surgical masks. If there is no underlying disease, a healthy person can breathe easily with a mask for 4 hours. Since it already has pores, even if the edges are closed, air intake into the nose and mouth is not zero. Surgical masks do not prevent entry from the outside, they prevent it from coming out from the inside, that is, from the person wearing it. We do not recommend wearing the surgical mask for more than 4 hours. However, the reason why we do not recommend it is not that it harms the person, but that the protective feature of the mask ends. Those pores can become clogged, especially if the person has microorganisms, they become clogged more quickly and become unable to do their main task. It can no longer prevent infectiousness. Therefore, we recommend replacing it."
Everyone should wear a mask
Stating that under normal conditions, the person who is actually sick should wear a surgical mask, Özer said, "However, since we do not know who is sick in this pandemic, we say that everyone should wear it. Although it is not accepted as a case, since we know that asymptomatic, that is, asymptomatic carriers are contagious, we tell them, 'You may not show symptoms, but you may be Covid positive, so wear a mask. There is a misunderstanding. We say that those who are sick should wear it, it prevents them from going outside, but on the other hand, there are also those who think 'I am not sick, why should I wear it? We tell those people that they may be asymptomatic," he said.
Weak possibility of causing nausea and vomiting
Özer said that he did not think that masks could cause nausea and vomiting, "We were told that there was such a case, but if there was nausea and vomiting, it was not due to that mask. No matter how many toxic substances are in it, it is very unlikely to cause problems such as nausea, vomiting and headache."
Mask is not an accessory, it is a medical product
"There are masks on the market that are very thin like a sieve," Dr. Songül Özer warned:
"If the back of the mask can be seen very clearly when held up to the light, we can understand that it is not protective. Some masks are really thick, people may believe that they are 3-ply. A blowing test can also be done. Breath should not escape when blown out, or at least very little. We have been voicing our opposition to cloth masks since January. It is said that these masks can be washed, dried and ironed, but we are definitely against them. All textile companies produce masks with different patterns, like an accessory that goes well with clothes. It is written on them that they can be washed for 20 washes, but we don't know who tested them and according to what. Is there a test result on this? It is just verbalized and people believe these statements. We definitely do not recommend black latex masks as well as fabric masks. The mask is a medical product, its beauty or ugliness should be put aside."
