Your Mask Won’t Protect You: Used Masks, Face Shield, 3 Layers & Valves?

If You Don’t Check A Mask’s Quality, Your Mask Won’t Protect You!

Due to its efficiency and ease of use, masks are recommended in times of pandemics. However, before putting a mask on one’s face, there are many things to consider. Most masks can do a pretty good job of protection, given that it fulfills the conditions of:

• Preventing bodily fluids from entering the mouth region
• Preventing the wearer’s fluids from reaching other people

Only with these qualities can a mask be in full effect. However, people still need to stay 6 feet away from each other since the amount of fluid splashing onto the mask at a distance of less than 6 feet cannot be prevented fully. Following the 6-feet rule means supporting your mask in fulfilling its duty and protecting yourself from potential exposure.

Aside from the N-95 masks (it’s strictly reserved for medical and field workers), there are plenty of other mask choices with different degrees of effectiveness, like surgeon/medical masks or cloth masks. However, the list below gives an idea of what shouldn’t be worn in current situations.

If You Don’t Avoid These Masks, Your Mask Won’t Protect You!

• Used Masks:

Used masks can contain harmful bacteria and microfiber (source reddeeradvocate.com)

Let’s face it: Anybody can be guilty of this one. 

This is dangerous, however. According to a study published on December 15th in the “Physics of Fluids”, wearing masks worn too often can do more harm than good, even more dangerous than not wearing any in some circumstances.

According to the research mentioned above, a typical medical mask has the potential to bar out 65% of fluid from infiltrating. Yet, a worn-out mask’s ability to do the same task drop to half, down to only 25%. 

Washed masks also increase the chance of fiber particles from the masks being inhaled by wearers, which pose a threat to wearers with existing conditions.

Once worn, a mask should be properly contained and thrown out in order for the fluid and bacteria trapped in it to be sterilized safely. If a used mask is left unattended, it can spread the contagion to other surfaces. 

Be sure to check packages of masks to see their conditions carefully. For example, on DONY’s face masks, there are indicator strips for users to ensure their quality and safety.

• Face Shield:

Face shields can be used incorrectly and harm the user (source amazon.com)

The World Health Organization (WHO) is against this method of face covering. In an update from WHO published on December 1st, the organization warned that wearing the face shield alone would not be enough to prevent droplets from reaching the face, nor preventing droplets from leaving the face. 

A face shield should be used with a face mask to be effective. If not, then the face mask alone would protect the wearer just fine. Under no circumstances should a face shield be enough to protect a person.

• Masks Under 3 Layers:

According to an experiment on different types of masks conducted by Virginia Tech in November, masks with three layers are the most capable of protecting against contagions. If a mask has less than three protective layers, it’s not trustworthy and should not be used in pandemics.

Purchasing and using these masks means exposure to drop-carried and airborne contagions. In times of need like this, please seek masks with at least three layers.

And if one is wondering where to get reliable 3-layered masks, DONY got that covered! DONY’s masks are known for being:

• effective with their 3-ply design and sterilization indicator,
• comfortable to wear thanks to the comfortable, breathable cotton material,
• customizable due to the nose clip and adjustable earloops.

DONY masks are comfortable and safe for users

With additional features such as UV-protection and zero suffocation encounters, compared to other fabric masks, DONY is most fitted for international standards and therefore is suitable for exporting globally.

With DONY masks, sterilization is never a bother, thanks to the certified sterilization strip on each box to prove its safety and cleanness. With distribution reaching worldwide, DONY masks’ quality can be found truly anywhere, assuring protectiveness for everyone!

For this reason, DONY is proud to present its safe, reusable, and washable face masks. These masks are now available for distribution in the USA, many European, Middle-Eastern, and Asian countries, after going through many tests and earning many certificates for their safety.

• Masks With Valves:

Valved masks are essentially useless (source amazon.com)

As people protest their discomfort and difficulty in breathing, some think of installing ventilation valves to masks. However, these are not very trustworthy for two reasons:

• Most valved masks do not possess three protective layers due to their priority of allowing wearers to breathe more easily.
• The ventilation valve makes the mask useless. According to the November 10th research carried out by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), bodily fluids can move just as fast and far coming through a valved mask as they do in the air.

These masks serve no functions at all and should be avoided in these crucial times.

Conclusion

Wearing a face mask is the easiest and most important step to taking precautions against the current pandemic. Be sure to read this guide carefully and avoid ill-made masks to protect oneself.

If the question of “where to get trustworthy, quality-certified masks” comes up, DONY is, once again, here to help!

As we’ve discussed in our previous points, there are many types of masks to avoid, like masks with less than three layers of protection, valved masks, and worn-out used masks. But even when you’re buying new masks, you’ll also need to look for trustworthy sources to buy from.

As all things that look simple, face masks can be harder to use than they seem. Once users have learned how to properly use the mask to its maximum potential, there’s no doubt that safety is within reach, and the pandemic is on its way out!