The deadly coronavirus has totally infected 28 people in India including 16 tourists from Italy. Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has confirmed the number of cases today at a press meet. The tourists were accompanied by an Indian guide who is also affected by the virus. The Delhi based man who tested positive yesterday spreads the infection to 6 of his family members. Another infected person who traveled to Telangana from Dubai has also been isolated.
Wearing surgical masks is not proved to prevent Coronavirus infection completely. But doctors have asked people who are infected by the virus to wear masks since the virus can spread through sneeze, cough and can be easily transferred to others.
Here are the various types of surgical masks available in India:
N95:
N95 respirators and surgical masks (face masks) are examples of personal protective equipment that are used to protect the wearer from airborne particles and from liquid contaminating the face. These masks are easily available in the market and it is helpful in filtering 95% of particles from entering the mouth and nose.
N99:
The N99 masks are capable of filtering 99% of the microorganisms from entering. These masks provide better protection and better comfort when compared to N95. They are quite costly compared to N95 masks.
P95:
These masks are really costly when compared to the 'N' category masks. The difference between 'N' and 'P' masks is that the P95 masks can prevent oil-based pollutants as well. The major problem with these masks is that they need to be replaced every 40 hours of wear time or after 30 days of usage.
Vogmasks:
Vogmasks are really costly ranging from Rs.5000 to 6000 but these masks can prevent particles small as 0.3 microns. These masks are not available everywhere so ordering them from abroad will be necessary. They can be reused multiple times for up to 6 months.