Ordinary masks out, N95 inas 3rd wave surge hits home

Hyderabad: As Covid-19 cases rise, unlike in the earlier waves when most went for ordinary surgical masks, this time around the sale of N95 masks appears to have increased.
More awareness about its effectiveness to reduce transmission as well as options to get cheaper N95 masks has resulted in many preferring this over surgical or cloth masks, dealers and shopkeepers said.
“With the availability of low-cost N95 masks and price ranging from Rs 20 to Rs 300, many people are buying them,” said M Vikas Verma, a shopkeeper.
Previously, these masks were mostly used by healthcare workers and those who had regular contact with the public, said Anand Jain, a distributor of health care products. “But ordinary citizens are also now preferring these masks. It is best to wear them only once or at best two to three times, not repeatedly,” said Jain.
According to studies, N95 masks provide the best protection when both the infected and non-infected wear them during direct contact. Ordinary surgical or cloth masks do not provide the same level of protection even though they were used a lot in previous waves.
The imposition of fine for not wearing a mask has also increased overall sales, shopkeepers said.