When the Coronavirus pandemic first began in early 2024, many folks didn’t believe that it was actually a real thing. So, they didn’t care about wearing a mask. This type of thinking was even promoted by health experts.
In fact, according to the University of Southern California, two of the most trusted health organizations, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the WHO (World Health Organization) didn’t even initially recommend wearing cloth masks!
That being said, it is no surprise why even now after so many people have died worldwide that folks across the globe still are skeptical about whether or not masks are helpful against the multiple strains of COVID-19.
Still, one of the most recommended ones out there, learn more about the KN95 face mask, is consistently being worn by the general public and medical professionals alike.
Features of the KN95 Face Mask
One of the best features of the KN95 is that anybody can wear one. The reason why is because these protective masks don’t irritate your skin, whether you are a child or an adult. Even though they have five layers to give you 95% protection from COVID-19 particles, they are also not uncomfortable and allow a person to breathe more freely than having on a cloth mask.
This is one of the biggest complaints in general about wearing ones – that they are hot and make people sweat more than they would without donning one. Experts believe that the Coronavirus started in China, and so did the creation of KN95. In fact, the Chinese government is who regulates them, and they are the standard style of protective mask in that country. Seeing as how there are hardly any public establishments that don’t require patrons to enter their spaces without having on some type of mask, what people want is something that they can wear comfortably and continuously throughout the day.
These foldable KN95 face masks are light, fit well around the nose and ears, and seal the nasal and oral openings of your face very well without being itchy or irksome to wear. Even though the World Health Organization didn’t recommend (cloth) masks at the beginning of the pandemic, they are completely behind this model of them.
They fully approved it as a satisfactory protective measure against the Coronavirus for all human beings, whether they work in health care, are regular everyday citizens, or are patients who are currently being treated or hospitalized due to COVID-19. The multiple layers of a KN95 are made up of a few materials, which include cotton and nonwoven fabrics. They are developed with the intent of being one-time use masks, so a person shouldn’t use them for more than a day.
The KN95 vs The N95 Face Mask
With the two names of these masks being so similar, there are people who think that they are the same, but they are not. The KN95 is the standard mask for China, while the N95 is the United States’ standard mask.
So, is one mask better than the other? Well, as far as keeping out harmful particles they match up. Both of them can filter about 95% of things like bacteria and the smallest particles of COVID-19.
The biggest difference between the two is the requirement of fit tests as a standard. China’s mask, the KN95, makes fit tests a requirement in their standard. But the U.S.’s mask, the N95, doesn’t make fit tests a standard requirement.
Of course, all of the establishments that use the N95 face masks in the U.S. (hospitals, clinics, etc.) require fit tests, which is when masks are tested for how many particles they reflect when it is on a person’s face as well as how well it fits around the nose and ears. But, fit tests are not a standard requirement with the N95.
How Masks Help Save Our Lives
None of us want to get the deadly Coronavirus, and wearing a mask will effectively reduce the transmission of the disease by 50%. This is why it is so important to wear it when you are out in public, or if you are going to be in a somewhat crowded unpublic setting.
What people may believe is that if they have tested negative for the disease, or if they or not showing any of the symptoms of it, then wearing it is pointless and/or unnecessary. But, experts say that even without showing symptoms of it a person can very easily spread COVID-19 to others, whether they sneeze, cough, or just talk to another person.
With so many new strands of the Coronavirus popping up, many wonder whether there is anyone who is actually exempt from wearing something like a KN95. Well, the CDC does exempt a few types of people, but they are mostly under extreme conditions.
For example, if a person is in a state where they would not be able to take their mask off themselves, then they are not required to wear one. This would be a person who may have just been in, say, a car accident, and are currently unconscious. Folks who have very bad breathing problems are also not required to wear it, and neither are babies under 24 months old.
Facial protection like the KN95 will effectively protect other people from the droplets you release into the air when you breathe, and vice versa. And, being that people who don’t have any major symptoms of COVID-19 still may actually have the disease, the safest thing to do for yourself as well as your immediate society is to simply wear a mask.
We’ve all made tons of sacrifices during this tough time in human history, from social distancing ourselves from friends and family to not being able to even go to work or school regularly. Still, wearing a mask is one of the easiest things to do in order to do your part in finally completely stopping this horrible pandemic, once and for all.
