The global pandemic has completely shattered and devastated the entire world and we are not at all alien with this fact. The fact that it is only rising at an exponential rate and making things worse is definitely a matter of great concern for all of us. But, entire humanity cannot just sit locked inside their comfort zones forever. As work is equally important, the present situation is just as if people are not going to die due to COVID 19, then they are going to die due to hunger. So, slowly or steadily work has to be resumed, but all of you should follow and take the utmost care to protect yourself and your families from any type of danger.
N95 face masks offer protection from this deadly virus to a large extent. But, then what led to this article? The answer is pretty simple, first of all, due to very high demands, the masks are very few in numbers in almost all the stores, both physical and digital. And also, most of the sellers are charging huge amounts for the same.
Therefore, let us now check out some of the best alternatives for these N95 masks, if you wouldn’t be able to buy it:
ETEX Kawach
It is developed by a start-up from IIT Delhi, named ETEX. It offers a little over ninety percent filtration, the N95 masks offer slightly over ninety-five percent, so it is not as good as its rival, but it will definitely protect you. This ninety percent filtration rate is well and good to protect you from this virus and reduces your chance of getting infected by a large margin. The layout and design are somewhat comparable to its rival and is clinically tested and approved. Furthermore, the fact that it is made from eco-friendly and environment-friendly materials are just praiseworthy. One of the most astonishing features of this beauty is that it is priced at a very nominal and pocket-friendly rate. You will have to pay roughly forty-five rupees for one piece, whereas, for N95 masks, some sellers are even charging four to five hundred rupees per unit. You can purchase it from the official website of ETEX, or also from various e-commerce platforms, like – Amazon, Flipkart, and much more. And you will be happy to hear that this startup is also working hard to make many new changes in these masks so that they can even enhance it more and more.
Face shield
If you are just want to save yourself from the contaminated fluids and liquid particles then a Face shield would be another option in combination with self-made cloth maks or surgical disposable face mask. There are lots of companies that offer Face shield products that will protect almost your entire face from the risk of being infected. You can buy it from various online stores, etc in a combination of two, eight, five, or ten masks. The material employed in making it is a soft quality sponge and it is of almost perfect thickness as it will keep your face comfortable and also protect you. You can even wear your spectacles inside it, isn’t that cool? Well, yes it is. The rope that holds this mask to your head is also of a material having high elastic quality and it will not hurt your head even after hours of usage. The fact that it is a face shield, it will protect your entire face from any type of body fluid or other infections. It is completely transparent and also very affordable and budget-friendly.
Disposable Surgical face mask
It is of free size and made from cloth. It is a half mask and will cover your mouth and nose, which are the most common passages for the infection. This mask is most suitable for protection from viruses and pollution. This mask is supported from your ears and then it gets a good grip and covers your half face completely. I agree that it is not as effective as N95 maks products or even like the two above mentioned alternatives, but if you are unable to get them, then something is better than nothing. If you use it in the correct manner and with caution, then you can protect yourself from the deadly virus to a good extent.
Self-made Cloth Mask
In case you are living in an area, where all of the options including N95 are nota available in such scenario your simple handkerchief would work too, yes it will not as much as effective against minute dust and other air born particles but there is an old saying something is better than nothing. Thus, during this COVID pandemic period, apart from handkerchief if you know how to stitch clothes then take some piece of cotton cloth and tailor it as per your face to make it more fashionable. Also, if possible make before going out to make these self-made cotton cloth masks wet this will give safety from ashes and smoke in the air.
Thus, these are the three best available alternatives to the N95 face masks and all of you can surely look forward to them. The ongoing situation is indeed very dangerous and each and every one of us should take safety precautions in the best way possible and also keep praying and believing that everything will be alright in the near future. Therefore, I hope that you might have found this article useful.