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The efficacy of N95 Respirators and Facemasks is being questioned by many because of the limited information that is available on their ability to prevent infection. With the outbreak of the deadly swine flu virus (H1N1) around the world, people are obviously interested in fending off this disease and taking precautionary measures to keep swine flu at bay. The fear of succumbing to H1N1 has led the masses to go a step beyond the basic prevention measures. Facemasks and N95 Respirators do give a person protection against H1N1 but it is obvious that this defense is not total and 100%. Along with wearing these masks one has to be responsible enough to follow other safety measures to achieve success.
The N95 Respirator has been recommended for those who work with Influenza like Illness patients and confirmed cases of H1N1 patients. These are designed to fit very snugly over the person’s mouth and face and they filter out extremely small particles that may contain viruses and bacterium, unlike the facemask that blocks out large globs, sprays, spittle etc.
The N95 Respirator is made by different manufacturing companies that have various “collection efficiencies”. So some masks may only filter out 50% of the viruses while others may filter out 92%. Even so, they are considered a good protection as they help you from inhaling the very minute virus containing
particles.
Apart from facemasks and N95 Respirators one has to remember that a clean and sanitized environment helps to keep you safe from being infected with a virus. The Smittstopp spray is one such product that guarantees a long term protection against viruses. Based on a new Swedish technology Smittstopp (as the name suggests “stops disease spreading”) uses a cationic polymer layer that has a positive charge which attracts microorganisms that have a negative charge and destroy them instantly.
According to the reports H1N1 or Swine Flu is spread from person to person through minute aerosols during coughing or sneezing. Standard facemasks do not really stop the entrance of these viruses and therefore if you spray the facemasks inside and out with the Smittstopp spray the protection of the masks automatically get enhanced.
When Smittstopp is sprayed on surfaces like door knobs and handles, staircase railings, banisters, taps, switches, table tops etc the bacteria and viruses that infect these surfaces are instantly killed, and the surface itself is degreased from all fats and cleaned of all dirt. Thus the spray acts like a cleaner and disinfectant.
It is therefore recommended that all public areas where infection is likely to spread like Public bus stops, buses, lavatories/toilets, clinics, hospitals, chemists etc should be sprayed with Smittstopp. In this way, not only is the infection stopped but batcteria, staphylococci and viruses that are attracted to these sprayed surfaces get stuck to it and die without
infecting anybody.
The efficacy of N95 Respirators depends on the usage. These masks are disposable ones and cannot be cleaned. Therefore it is mandatory to dispose of these masks in a responsible manner in the trash, making sure that they do not come in contact with anything else. If the N95 respirator shows signs of dirt, splashes of fluid etc, or becomes too difficult to breathe through, it should be replaced. Since these masks are designed to fit your face snugly they cannot be used by people who have facial hair, or very small children. The N95 Respirators should be used as a part of Airborne Precautions.
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