The flu period is a very serious period. apart from vaccines, what other good ways to reduce influenza infection??Today i will share with you a simple and effective way to wear a mask.

First, why wear a mask

Influenza is mainly spread through respiratory secretions droplets, but also through the mouth, nose, eyes and other mucous membranes directly or indirectly spread. wearing a mask is an effective means to block the spread of respiratory secretions and is one of the secrets to prevent influenza. especially in the face of patients with respiratory symptoms such as fever, wearing a mask is very effective in preventing infection.

Wearing a mask seems simple and learned. some people do not have the consciousness of wearing masks. according to the survey data, among the patients with fever, 48%Few or never used masks, and 43 of the patients wore masks..2%Some people wear masks. in order not to infect others, there are 40%Some people wear masks. in order to avoid air pollution, there are 38.4%Some people wear masks to prevent others from infecting themselves. even some people feel that wearing masks is more difficult than before. after wearing them for a few minutes, they want to breathe. this habit not only has poor protective effect, moreover, the used mask is not well preserved, the inner layer is contaminated with pathogens, and it is easy to pollute the nasal cavity and oral cavity when used again.

Second, how to choose to wear a mask correctly

Types of masks that are often available on the market are: cotton masks(FigureA), medical surgical mask(FigureB)、N95 mask 【NIOSH(National institute for occupational safety and health)One of the 9 kinds of anti-particulate masks certified."N"means not suitable for oily particles(The lampblack produced by cooking is oily particles, while the droplets produced by people talking or coughing are not oily.);"95" refers to, inNIOSHUnder the detection conditions specified in the standard, the filtration efficiency reaches 95%.].](FigureC), they have different materials and different filtering effects, so they have different uses.

1. general cotton masks: basically do not have the effect of preventing infectious diseases, but have certain dustproof and warm-keeping effects, which is a good choice for people whose nasal cavity and respiratory tract are sensitive to temperature and environment.

2. medical surgical mask: it has good air permeability, dust resistance, water resistance and light weight, and can avoid splashing liquid and spray contacting the oral cavity and nasal cavity. it is the most commonly used protective mask.

3,N95 masks: it is ideal to cover the face, which can effectively prevent pathogens and pathogenic particles in the air from entering the respiratory tract and nasal cavity. the effect of disease prevention and haze prevention is better than that of medical surgical masks.;The disadvantage is that the air permeability is poor when wearing, and the respiratory resistance is large. it is not recommended for pregnant women or patients with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and it is not suitable for long-term wear.

We should choose the mask that suits us. when choosing a mask, you should pay attention to: the size of the mask should be appropriate, fit the face, the material is the same as the inside, the thickness is the same as the logo, the packaging is complete, and the independent packaging is best, and the mask should be within the warranty period.

Three, how to wear the mask correctly

The next step in choosing a mask is to know how to wear a mask correctly to prevent influenza.

1. what situations should i wear a mask: if the flu is distributed in the epidemic season, in the relatively closed public environment such as airports, subways, railway stations, cinemas, shopping malls, etc, patients with respiratory symptoms should actively wear masks to reduce the spread of the virus around. in the flu epidemic season, healthy people should wear masks when entering the concentrated area of population density to prevent others from sneezing and coughing of the virus, and to avoid the spread of diseases caused by contaminated hands touching their own mouth and nose, leave these environments to remove.

2. those things before and after wearing masks:

Wash your hands before wearing a mask or avoid touching the inner side of the mask during wearing the mask to reduce the possibility of the mask being contaminated. distinguish the inside and outside of the mask, the upper and lower: the medical surgical masks are from the outside to the inside, the water barrier layer, the filter layer and the moisture absorption layer, and the functions are also different, so pay attention to the inner and outer layers. don’t wear it in reverse, let alone wear it on both sides in turn. pay attention to the upper and lower sides of the mask. the upper side is a shaped nasal strip, which can increase the fit between the mask and the face and improve the filtering effect.

When wearing, the side with pleats will be outward, the aluminum seal will be upward, and the rubber bands will be fixed on both ears twice.(FigureA)Press the metal strip on the mask along the nose bridge and both sides of the face tightly to facilitate the mask to fully fit the face.(图B), pull open the folds of the mask, so that the mask completely covers the mouth, nose and chin.

3, wash your hands before wearing

It was repeatedly mentioned earlier that hand washing, hand washing and hand hygiene are also important in preventing influenza. a study conducted at the university of michigan in the united states found that, wearing masks and hand washing among students can reduce the spread of flu-like symptoms with an effective rate of 75%. wearing a mask alone may not significantly reduce flu-like symptoms, This indicates that wearing a mask and washing hands should be done at the same time.