COVID has infected millions of people from all over the world and millions of people have lost their lives to it. It was first identified in late December 2019 in China as mysterious disease-causing pneumonia and severe respiratory distress. From then it spread like wildfire to different parts of the world by April 2020. WHO declared COVID-19 as a pandemic and that it is a highly communicable disease caused by a coronavirus.
The disease spreads through droplet transmission from person to person when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. Ever since the outbreak, wearing face masks was recommended as a part of self-protection to prevent the spread of the disease. Although much a wide range of masks such as Cloth masks, surgical masks, and more; the N95 mask is scientifically proven to protect people from deadly viruses and other germs that are categorized under bio aerosols.
What Is The Mode Of Transmission Of COVID-19 Among People?
COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which spreads in different ways.
- Current evidence suggests that the virus spreads person to person who are in close contact with each other like conversational distance. The virus can spread from an infected person’s mouth or nose through small droplets expelled into the air when they cough, sneeze, speak or sing. When another person comes into contact with the virus, it may pass through the air inhaled at short range, which is otherwise called short rage aerosol or short-range air-borne transmission. If such infectious particles come into direct contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth it is categorized as droplet transmission.
- The virus can also spread at a rapid rate in poorly ventilated and or crowded indoor settings or closed rooms where people tend to spend longer periods. This is because these bio aerosols (viruses or other disease-causing germs) remain suspended in the air or travel farther than the conversational distance (this is called long-range transmission).
- Case reports show that SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted between people by touching surfaces contaminated by virus after an ill person has recently coughed or sneezed and then directly touching the mouth, nose, or eyes. This type of transmission is called the fomite transmission. Proper hand hygiene acts as a barrier to fomite transmission and has been associated with lowering the risk of infection.
Remember, ever since the outbreak of COVID-19, the virus has undergone erratic mutations and is still infecting thousands of people all over the world despite thorough vaccination programs taken up by all nations.
How Can You Protect Yourself From The New Omicron Variant?
- You can guard yourself against the new omicron variant when you get vaccinated or get a booster dose when you are eligible for it.
- The most important thing to follow is taking precautionary measures that you may have relaxed like wearing a mask and avoiding crowds
- Avoid huge crowds, social gatherings, and holiday travel
- Do continue following hand hygiene
- Follow cough or sneeze etiquette
Do All Masks Protect From The Omicron Variant?
With the emergence of the new omicron variant, the new variant of concern, medical experts and scientists are warning against the masks that people are using. They are suggesting that using only the trusted and certified N95 masks can protect against Omicron, a variant that has been deemed to be three times more infectious and transmissible than delta. It has the potency to even evade the virus-fighting antibodies acquired through natural or vaccine-induced immunity.
With the spike in cases of Omicron transmission, nations are imposing COVID- protocols, of which wearing an N95 mask in public is the need of the hour to control the spread. Health authorities are stressing the use of superior masks or highly functioning respirators over reusable masks. N95 is not the only mask people have to depend upon. Even the KN95 masks can offer protection as they can filter out up to 95 percent of particles in the air. Most cloth masks do not comply with standard safety procedures and are often made of a single layer that offers only minimal particulate filtration. According to research in the US, cloth masks have failed to be even a basic filter that is meeting marginal protection. So, it has been concluded that cloth masks may not work against the omicron variant. When considering surgical masks made of polypropylene can provide only some amount of particle filtration and most of them do not fit well.
So cloth and surgical masks often have fit issues and provide patchy coverage. So, wearing N95 or KN95 masks made of appropriate material gives a tighter fit and better protection. In the wake of Omicron’s emergence, the WHO has issued guidelines for health workers who are in direct contact with COVID-19 infections. Workers have been asked to use medical masks like N95 along with PPE kits to ensure maximum prevention and spread from Omicron.
Conclusion:
It’s time to get protected from the ongoing surge of infections with Omicron. When it comes to safety and protection from COVID-19, you can do that only by following standard COVID protection protocol. Please wear only a highly protective N95 mask to prevent yourself from Omicron infection. You get the best N95 masks from certified medical suppliers. EmerDepot is the leading provider of COVID-19 safety supplies which includes Nitrile exam gloves, level 3 Medicom safe mask master series, Antilog Face shields, N95 Respirators, and many more safety products at very reasonable prices online around the U.S.A and Canada. You can also see other products like isolation gowns, oxygen concentrators, Disinfectants & sanitizers at EmerDepot. EmerDepot also provides a wide range of products online such as Medicom safe mask premier, safety gloves, and various other COVID-19 safety-related products across the U.S.A and Canada. Click here to know more!
