Recently, many elementary and middle schools have started to resume classes. Everyone wears a mask to go to school and enters the school to measure body temperature. Some parents reported that their children came back from school and told them that some students wore N95 masks to go to school, and even wore such masks to run. This parent expressed concern, would this cause many children to have impaired heart and lung function?
Is there a standard for wearing a mask?
Does this mother's worry make sense?
A few days ago, China Industrial Textile Industry Association led the drafting of the "civil hygiene mask" group standard has been officially released. Jin Xiangyu, one of the drafters of mask group standards and a professor at the Textile College of Donghua University, reminded parents not to be blindly keen to choose N95 masks and medical surgical masks.
Can children wear N95 masks
Many parents have found that children often "open their mouths to breathe" when wearing masks, and some children have difficulty breathing while wearing masks. In response to this phenomenon, Jin Xiangyu said that wearing a mask is like setting up a "filter barrier" to your respiratory system. This barrier should not only block particles and droplets, but also ensure smooth breathing. Children's lungs are relatively weak. Children's masks worn for a long time first require "comfortable ventilation".
In the mask group standard, it is clearly stipulated that the ventilation resistance of the adult mask must be less than or equal to 49 Pa, and the ventilation resistance of the child mask must be less than or equal to 30 Pa. Jin Xiangyu particularly reminded parents not to be blindly keen to choose N95 masks and medical surgical masks. "The ventilation resistance of these masks is around 300 Pa. Although the protection performance is high, it is not conducive to ventilation. It is not the best choice for children's daily protection. "
However, if the ventilation resistance is lower, will it affect the protection of the mask? It is understood that the protection standards for adult population masks and child masks in the group standards are "same treatment" and are equally strict. The standard stipulates that the filtering efficiency of children's masks for dust, dropl ets, aerosols and other particulate matter is not less than 90%, and the bacterial filtering efficiency is not less than 95%, which can meet the needs of ordinary consumers to protect bacteria after wearing masks. At the same time, considering the poor ability of children to be active and active, they also stipulate the flame retardant performance of children's masks. The index refers to YY0469-2011 "Medical Surgical Masks". The burning time of the masks after leaving the flame is not more than 5 seconds.
In addition, according to the new standard, ear masks should be used for children's masks. The mask straps should not have free ends, detachable small parts, etc., and there should be no sharp points and edges that can be touched. The raw materials of masks for children should not use recycled materials. Jin Xiangyu said that under such strict safety standards, as long as consumers choose to purchase qualified and compliant child masks, both safety and comfort can be achieved.
Doctor reminds
Even when an adult wears a N95 mask, the time should not exceed 4 hours at a time. If the N95 mask is used for a long time, it will cause lung damage and may cause problems such as emphysema.
Do not wear N95 masks for children under 7 years old, even N95 masks with special air valve design, because the breathing resistance will be too large, and children will be at risk of suffocation.
If your child needs to take physical education classes, it is recommended to take it out in a ventilated outdoor area. You don¡¯t need to wear a mask when doing physical activities. Try to choose sports that can maintain a certain distance, such as doing exercises, and avoid close contact.
Can cartoon color masks be bought?
Many parents are very worried when buying child masks. Ordinary mask children are reluctant to wear. Children like colorful children masks with cartoon patterns. But is such a mask safe and will its protective effect be compromised?
In the "Civil Sanitary Masks" group standard, it is stipulated that the fabrics that are in direct contact with the skin should not be dyed, but this requirement does not apply to the outer layer of the mask. Whether the outer layer of the mask is dyed and whether there are various patterns is designed by the enterprise. The standard does not require it. .
"Beautiful masks should be bought carefully." Jin Xiangyu said that the pigments used for children's face mask dyeing should best meet the "food grade standard". On the contrary, wearing masks dyed with chemical materials for a long time will cause negative effects.
How often to replace
Medical staff has strict rules on the wearing time of masks. How long should students wear masks in public places like schools? Jin Xiangyu said that everyone's breathing volume, speech frequency and exercise volume are different. Generally, it is enough to use disposable masks to change one day a day. "You need to choose a mask of the appropriate size to ensure the tightness of the mask. Use both hands when wearing the mask. Squeeze the metal strips on both sides of the nose bridge so that the upper end of the mask is close to the nose bridge, and stretch the mask down without leaving wrinkles."
Children should pay attention to the following when using masks:
¢ÙChildren's masks are not suitable for infants and children under 36 months of age.
¢ÚChildren's masks are divided into large, medium and small size.
Trumpet: Suitable for children aged 3-6, wear it with caution.
Medium: Suitable for children aged 6-9
Large: Recommended for children over 10 years old
Note: Due to the large differences in individualization of children, the above is for reference only, and try-on is more important.
¢ÛChildren's masks should use earhook mask straps. The mask straps should not have free ends or detachable small objects.
¢ÜChildren's masks encourage personalized design, but cartoon color masks have higher requirements for dyeing pigments and craftsmanship. It is recommended to choose fancy children's masks carefully.
¢ÝDaily protection for public places such as schools, usually wear a mask once a day.
From: Jiangsu Disease Control