Will the wearing of a mask be generalized? This is one of the questions that Emmanuel Macron could answer this evening. Because the debate has stirred France for several days. More and more cities (Cannes, Nice, Limoges ...) are calling on their citizens to wear masks, or to cover their lower faces, and many French people are starting to make their own masks. But then what are the rules to follow? How effective?
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Regarding the fact of covering the mouth with a scarf, a muffler or any other clothing as protection, the infectiologists are unanimous: the process is very ineffective. Simply because it is woven fabric, and therefore with mesh, which form micro holes and allow micro droplets that can carry the virus to pass through.
The most efficient vacuum cleaner filter
Indeed, for a homemade mask to be effective, it must be composed of at least one layer of non-woven fabric, such as felt. It can also be the case for your napkins or tablecloth. But the most effective is to use a vacuum cleaner filter, which is easy to order on the internet.
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However, care must be taken to comply with the HEPA or TH E. standards. Sewn between two other layers of tissue, this gives a very effective mask, explains Stephane Gayet, infectiologist at the Strasbourg University Hospital. "It makes us a filter in three thicknesses and we also have to pucker the nose and chin and we have a handcrafted filter which has a very interesting efficiency", he explains at the microphone of Europe 1. Another essential point, it is useless to wash his mask too often. And for good reason, even if the virus attaches to it, it disappears in 3 to 6 hours.
Barrier gestures to be respected even with a mask
The municipalities they mainly use some of our textile factories, which are based on the AFNOR standard. This uses the same principles and lists the tissues that stop the virus.
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Anyway, all these masks must be handled respecting the barrier gestures. In particular wash your hands before putting it on, do not touch it once on the face, and remove it only once back in your home. And for more information, the stop-postillons.fr site lists all of this advice, provides patrons and existing standards.