N95 Masks With Valves Will Do More Harm Than Good, Experts Say

The N95 masks are becoming more and more limited, which would be risky for people in the frontline of it all.

N95 Masks Supply Severely Low And Might Cause More Harm

Several states in the United States require their citizens always to wear masks at all times, especially when in public, to stop the spread of the coronavirus. One mask would create more harm than good, which is terrible news for the rest of the medical field in the frontline.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health went to Twitter on Monday to remind all residents that if they choose to wear a mask, they shouldn't be using the N95 mask, why? It is because they shouldn't have a front valve.

The tweet said, "Still seeing a lot of these masks out there, it's confusing because they are called N95 - but the ones with the **valves** or openings on the front are NOT safe, and may actually propel your germs further!"

So meaning, if the wearer of the N95 mask with a front open valve was sick, it could allow the germs or virus a chance to spread, which makes it as dangerous for people who use it and the people around.

The real N95 mask should "reduce the wearer's exposure to airborne particles, from small particle aerosols to large droplets," based on the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention or called CDC, which does not have valves on them.

Of course, a follow-up tweet from the local San Francisco fire department showed the vented masks can still be used if they were worn out. The method would be to use it over a surgical mask or another cloth covering them.

But for now, if you are using the N95 mask with the valve, health officials suggested covering the opening with tape. As simple as that.

What You Should Know About N95 Masks

The N95 masks which have an external valve are not as effective as the ones who don't. There was a study back in 2008 proving that the N95 mask that is properly fitted can protect the users 50 times as much as home-made masks and about 25 times than surgical masks.

As always, it's essential to reserve N95 masks for health workers since they are more prone to the coronavirus or other viruses or germs. Given that they are in the thick of things, governments around the world encourage people to use different masks and leave the N95 masks for health workers.

Beware of Fakes

There has been a lot of N95 masks that are flooding the market in light of the current pandemic, which has not met certain certification standards. So make sure that the masks you do purchase are of high quality or the authentic one to avoid any unwanted sickness.