Contrary to previous years, health expert asserts on N95 mask without valve this winter

By Joymala Bagchi
New Delhi [India], October 18 : The aggravated air condition following winter where particulate matter (PM) of 2.5 & 10 escalates to an alarming level forcing people to wear N95 mask with a valve to be on safe zone, this winter doctors are insisting on N95 mask without valve.
National capital whose AQI (Air Quality Index) level mostly fluctuated between very poor and severe category during past winters have already started experiencing a rise in COVID cases once more.
3259 fresh COVID cases have mounted the overall infection tally closely to 3.27 lakh with 35 fatalities recorded in the last 24 hours in Delhi. A number of reported deaths are 5,981.
Dr Deshdeepak, Senior Chest Physician, Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya hospital informed, "till last year we were saying that those who have a problem in breathing can use N95 mask with valve as it makes breathing easier. However, this year situation is very much different where we have both pollution and COVD- 19 we cannot recommend using N95 with valve."
While analysing this dichotomy that which mask to use for better protection expert pinpointed on N95 without a valve.
Dr Deshdeepak however also stated that using N95 mask without a valve would protect the individual "only from particulate air pollution."
N95 mask widely use by commoners to combat from inhaling polluted air only gives protection from particulate matter and not against gaseous pollution.
Also, masks that provides protection from the gaseous pollution are exorbitantly priced making its purchase quite an affair.
Among ample of other factors that are not even considered while using these masks is its reusability.
"This is a very tricky situation. During Pollution we often tend to reuse the same mask to protect ourselves from pollution but important in COVID condition we may not be able to reuse the same mask and that includes the expensive one too," states the doctor.
With winter due to commence soon and most have estimated this season to intensify SAR-COV2 for its transmitting capacity, health experts in rhetoric have stated that pollution urgently needs to be taken care of.
India reported a spike of 62,212 new covid19 cases and 837 deaths in the last 24 hours. Total case tally stands at 74,32,681 including 7,95,087 active cases, 65,24,596 cured/discharged/migrated cases & 1,12,998 deaths, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
With the onset of winter, the weather condition aggravates as pollution level in the air varies between poor to severe category.