What are N95 Masks and where to purchase them

These days, wearing a mask before you leave your home or apartment – whether it is to simply walk the dog, or to run a bunch of meetings in crowded places – has become a basic necessity.

The obvious reason for that fact is because of the highly infectious and deadly COVID-19 pandemic that has spread across the entire globe in less than a year. Whether you are feeling ill or not, wearing a mask will help you make sure that you will not catch the COVID-19 pandemic as best you can. More importantly, wearing a mask helps you protect others.

That is why the saying that has spread across some parts of the world is, “I wear my mask to protect you, you wear your mask to protect me.” Visit site to find out the right face mask for you.

While brighter days are certainly ahead thanks to some very positive news regarding multiple COVID-19 vaccines, we are still likely several months away from people all over the world being able to get their hands on one. For that reason, it is highly important that we do what we can in the meantime to make sure that as many lives as possible are saved.

COVID-19 has already claimed the lives of millions worldwide. What we do now will have a lasting impact on the world once we are able to welcome a COVID-19-free world.

With all that said, one of the very best types of masks to wear when it comes to protecting yourselves and others are known as N95 masks. They are the masks that are worn by medical professionals, but are also highly useful and desired by those who are most likely to feel the full effects of COVID-19 such as the immunocompromised or elderly.

Different types of protection

Walking around the neighborhood, or local supermarket or mall, you have definitely seen a huge array of different types of masks. There are bandanas, surgical and disposable masks, cloth and reusable masks and filtered masks such as the N95. If you are curious about the different levels of protection that is out there, continue reading to get a quick breakdown of what kinds of masks offer what kind of protection.

Minimum protection masks

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, minimum protection masks were used by healthcare workers when they were doing simple and quick exams on a patient, especially when that exam will not cause any fluids to spray into the air. Now, these minimum protection masks are often seen at the grocery store or when you are out and about in the form of disposable surgical masks. These types of masks are known to greatly reduce the spray of particulates in the air as well as protect the wearer from inhaling about 60 percent of particulates.

Minimum protection masks can also now refer to things like bandanas, gators, homemade cloth masks and more. These masks are much more effective at protecting people when they are worn by all people in a given place. If one person is simply wearing this mask and no one else around them is, chances are that they will not be very protected, unfortunately.

Level 1 protection

Level 1 masks are more protective types of surgical masks that have a fluid resistance up to 80mmHG. These are very commonly used by healthcare workers during a standard procedure. In the time of COVID-19, Level 1 protection masks are considered great options for those who are not necessarily around sick people but do have to work and/or otherwise operate around people who are not in your personal bubble (I.E. your family, spouse or close friends).

Level 2 protection

Level 2 face masks are great for light to moderate procedures in the medical field where there is a risk of fluids spraying in the air. These are made with a barrier that is resistance to fluids that are up to 120mmHg. It is a mask that you would commonly find in a dentist office.

Level 3 protection

Level 3 face masks are what is typically used for surgeons and other healthcare workers that are in need of the highest form of protection. They can resist 160mmHg of fluid. IN the time of COVID-19, N95 masks have not only become highly important for nearly all healthcare workers who work in the ICU with patients fighting for the lives against COVID-19, but has also become very important for people who are more at risk to contract and die from COVID-19, either because they have previous health issues, are immunocompromised, or are elderly.

Unfortunately, the increased need for N95 masks – as well as a general fear amongst the greater population – has led to severe shortages of these types of highly protective masks.

With that being said, there are several resources online that still sell N95 masks for people who feel that they may be in need of them, either because of what they do for a living or because of the level of risk that COVID-19 holds for them personally.

N95 respirators

So now that you know that N95 masks are some of the most protective on the market, let’s just spend a little bit of time breaking down how they work. Basically, N95 masks are meant to fit very snuggly around the wearer’s face, meaning that there is nowhere for particulates or droplets to sneak in. These masks can block 95 percent of all microscopic airborne particles, which is why they are worn by people working on the frontlines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

They are highly beneficial to those who wear them and are not only effective at protecting those who wear them, but everyone around them as well. In a perfect world, we would all be able to get our hands on plenty of N95 masks. Sadly, that is not the case. It may take some work to find where to purchase N95 masks, but if you are at-risk of COVID-19 for any reason, it is highly crucial that you do find a place to purchase them.

In the end, any type of mask that you wear is going to be much better and safer for you and those around you than nothing at all. Take some time to consider the level of risk that you are facing in your day-to-day life to better assess what kind of face mask is right for you.