Why is mask making important in india

Under stable atmospheric conditions, particulate matters agglomerate with SARS-CoV-2 increasing its permanence and contagiousness in the environment as it travels longer distances A few preliminary studies have reported that people with long-term exposure to air pollution are at risk for higher severity and mortality from COVID 34 , 35 , 36 , This is worrisome in the Indian context.

Cloth or medical masks are not adequate to protect against air pollution; neither do these provide protection against edge-seal leakage N95 or N99 respirator masks are more effective for protection against air pollution 40 , and the associated higher risk of COVID Caution is however, necessary to ensure the quality of face masks if these have to serve their intended purpose well. Source : Adapted in part from Ref. It is important to ensure the appropriate use of face mask for it to be effective.

A recent survey noted that only 44 per cent of Indians were wearing it properly in compliance with the guidelines. Discomfort and difficulty in breathing were the commonly reported barriers against the use of face mask There are ways to improve the comfort of the wearer and mechanisms to avoid breathing difficulty, which could be shared with the public more broadly using appropriate mass communication strategies A face mask of adequate quality can be used while exercising in places with risk of transmission of respiratory organisms, without any drop in oxygen saturation of the blood It is also important to note that mask use is not recommended in children under two years, in individuals with disabilities such as cerebral palsy and in those not able to remove the mask without assistance In conclusion, it is important to appreciate that diligent face mask use is a crucial component of the set of public health interventions, components of which together build multiple layers of barriers between individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 and those who are susceptible.

Widespread use of face masks coupled with hand hygiene and physical distancing has been found to increase the odds of SARS-CoV-2 transmission control. However, self-reported face mask use has been reported to have increased in some parts of the world separate from government mandates, indicating that supplemental public health interventions are needed to maximize this behavioural change In addition to limiting the spread of infectious respiratory droplets into the environment, face masks are affordable, easy to use and practical where physical distancing appears difficult.

A local train or a public bus commuting with daily office-goers within and between cities on a typical day in India is the case in consideration here. In situations of mass religious gatherings such Kumbh mela or Haj transit stations, wearing face masks would be very useful, but this could be challenging to implement so other preventive measures such as vaccination should also be emphasized in these situations. In addition, face masks also reduce the transmission of other respiratory infections such as influenza and tuberculosis.

However, using them is the key. Masks on faces could serve as reminders for others, especially in the current environment when people are experiencing prevention fatigue. People wearing masks thus could not only help in generating peer pressure but also serving as the agents for social change.

It would therefore be ideal if every person living in India attempts to wear a proper face mask diligently in public places for now. Face masks are here to stay for some time, as even with the recent introduction of COVID vaccines, the development of vaccine-induced herd immunity is going to take some time. Finally, it is important to recognize that although vaccinated individuals would have less risk of getting symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 disease, they may still be able to spread the virus to others and should therefore use face mask.

Conflicts of Interest : None. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Indian J Med Res. Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer. Received Nov This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Second, it can reduce the local house outbreaks that have marked the second wave. Yes, it cited data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Service to say that there is a negligible risk of transmission when there is a distance of 6 feet between two persons and when both of them are wearing masks.

According to the data cited, the risk is 1. Which effectively means that if a new person comes home, the vulnerable need to wear a mask to reduce the risk of getting infected. Apart from what the government has cited, has any other study shown the benefits of indoor masking?

Click here to join our channel indianexpress and stay updated with the latest headlines. Watch: Simple way of making cloth mask within seconds. Covid How to make face mask without sewing machine with fabric at home. The novel coronavirus can spread easily from person-to-person contact, according to the WHO. Protective masks are said to lower the chances of coronavirus entering our respiratory system through droplets that are present in the air.

Wearing of masks is especially recommended for people living in densely populated areas. Coronavirus: How to make face masks at home using sewing machine. The team coordinated with the Tamil Nadu government and managed to get their raw material released from the state and transferred to Karnataka. The team also worked with Karnataka government and assisted the company in obtaining curfew passes for their essential staff members. All this was done in less than 48 hours!

In addition, their non-woven fabric suppliers in Tamil Nadu, Jayashree Spun Bond, a small manufacturer in Madurai, had also been facing issues in obtaining permissions to carry raw materials for surgical masks and medical gowns for their orders in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The Invest India team assisted the manufacturer in every step of the way and liaised with Tamil Nadu government to get them the required approvals. Therefore, the team was able to untangle multiple supply chain issues in a record time.

As a result of this intervention, Urbanbuddha LLP is currently producing approximately 25, masks everyday and supplying them across India whereas, Jayashree Spun Bond is also seamlessly providing raw material to mask manufacturers across Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.