China Disposable Medical Supplies, Medical Consumables Supplier
In modern medical and daily life, disposable medical masks have become indispensable items. As an important part of disposable medical products and disposable medical consumables, they play a crucial role in disease prevention and control. Especially during the epidemic of infectious diseases, their protective efficacy is even more prominent, becoming the first line of defense for people’s health.
I. Disposable Medical Protective Masks (Masks with Different Protection Levels)
Disposable medical protective masks can be divided into different types according to their protection levels to meet the needs of different scenarios. The most common ones are ordinary disposable medical masks, medical surgical masks, and medical protective masks (such as N95 and above).
Ordinary disposable medical masks can generally block most droplets and dust, and their filtration efficiency for bacteria is usually not less than 95%. Its structure is relatively simple, mainly composed of three layers of non – woven fabric. The outer layer is a waterproof layer that can block the splashing of droplets; the middle layer is a filtration layer responsible for filtering tiny particles such as bacteria; the inner layer is a moisture – absorbing layer that can absorb the moisture exhaled by the wearer and improve the wearing comfort. Such masks are suitable for general medical environments, such as the daily wearing of medical staff in general outpatient clinics and wards, as well as the general protection of the public in non – crowded places.
Medical surgical masks have better protective performance than ordinary disposable medical masks. Their filtration efficiency for bacteria and viruses is higher, with a filtration efficiency for non – oily particles of not less than 30% and a filtration efficiency for bacteria of not less than 95%. Structurally, it also has three layers, and the materials and processes are more refined, which can effectively block the splashing of blood and body fluids. It is suitable for invasive operations, surgeries and other medical scenarios, and is also suitable for the public to wear in crowded places or when they may come into contact with sources of infection.
Medical protective masks such as N95 masks have the highest protection level. “N95” means that the filtration efficiency for non – oily particles reaches more than 95%, which can effectively filter various pollutants in the air, such as viruses, bacteria, dust, including aerosol particles with extremely small particle sizes. These masks have good airtightness and can fit tightly to the face to prevent external pollutants from entering from the edges of the mask. They are often used in the front line of the prevention and control of infectious disease epidemics, such as medical staff treating COVID – 19 patients, and people working in high – risk environments.
II. Disposable Medical Surgical Protective Masks
As an important member of medical masks, disposable medical surgical protective masks have unique advantages. Its design aims to provide a high level of protection for the wearer, while taking into account wearing comfort and operational convenience.
Its materials are selected from high – quality non – woven fabric and melt – blown fabric. These materials have good filtration performance, waterproof performance, and breathability. The shape of the mask is usually ear – hanging type or head – hanging type. The ear – hanging type is convenient to wear and take off and is suitable for short – term use; the head – hanging type can provide a more stable fit and is not easy to loosen during long – term wearing, which is suitable for scenarios that require long – term protection, such as long – term surgical operations by medical staff.
In medical practice, medical surgical protective masks play an irreplaceable role. In the operating room, it can effectively prevent the droplets and microorganisms exhaled by medical staff from contaminating the surgical area and reduce the risk of postoperative infection in patients; when dealing with respiratory infectious diseases, it can block the virus – carrying droplets sprayed by patients and reduce the possibility of virus transmission to others. For the general public, wearing medical surgical protective masks can greatly reduce the risk of contracting infectious diseases when taking public transportation, going to hospitals and other crowded places with poor air circulation.
III. Usage Methods and Precautions of Various Protective Masks
Using protective masks correctly is the key to giving play to their protective effects. First of all, wash your hands before wearing to ensure that your hands are clean and avoid contaminating the inner surface of the mask. For ear – hanging masks, unfold the mask, hang the ear – loops on your ears, and then press the metal strip above the mask with your index fingers of both hands to make it fit the shape of the bridge of the nose, and then extend it to both sides to ensure that the mask fits tightly to the face without gaps. For head – hanging masks, first bypass the lower strap around the head and place it under the ears, then place the upper strap above the top of the head, and also press the metal strip to adjust the fit of the mask to the face.
During the wearing process, pay attention not to touch the outer side of the mask with your hands to avoid contaminating the mask with the germs on your hands. If the mask is contaminated, such as being wet by droplets or touched, it should be replaced in time. The wearing time should not be too long. Generally, medical masks are recommended to be replaced every 4 – 6 hours. If the mask is damaged or the breathing resistance increases significantly, it should be replaced immediately. When taking off the mask, avoid touching the outer side of the mask, and take it off through the ear – loops or straps and put it in a sealed bag or garbage bag for proper disposal.
IV. Correct Disposal of Disposable Mask Waste
With the large – scale use of disposable masks, the disposal of mask waste has become an important issue. Incorrect disposal methods may lead to environmental pollution and even the spread of germs.
Used disposable masks belong to medical waste and should be disposed of in accordance with the disposal standards for medical waste. In medical institutions, used masks should be put into yellow medical waste trash cans, and be uniformly collected, transported, and processed by professional medical waste treatment agencies. They are treated harmlessly through methods such as high – temperature incineration to completely kill the germs that may be carried on the masks.
For masks used by the general public, if they are used in a healthy state, the masks can be put into a sealed bag or garbage bag and disposed of according to domestic waste classification. If the masks are used by suspected or confirmed patients, they should be regarded as medical waste, sealed and handed over to medical institutions for treatment. Do not discard them casually.
In order to reduce the impact of mask waste on the environment, we can also encourage the use of degradable materials to make disposable masks, and at the same time strengthen the publicity and education on the disposal of mask waste to improve the public’s awareness of environmental protection and the ability to correctly dispose of mask waste.
As disposable medical products and disposable medical consumables, disposable medical masks provide effective protection for people in medical and daily life with their different protection levels. Correctly using and disposing of disposable masks is not only related to personal health but also of great significance for public health and environmental protection. Only by fully understanding its functions, using it correctly, and disposing of it properly can disposable medical masks better play their role in protecting health.