The COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of the world’s activities on hold. Festivals are cancelled, travel between countries is severely limited, and even travel between different states is tightly controlled and stressful. However, life goes on, and you may find yourself needing to travel on a plane. In this situation, you might be wondering: how do I protect myself against the coronavirus?
The team at Protectly.co have got you covered, and with our supplies, you can be sure that you will be traveling safely.
Firstly, the same precautions that you would take in a public space apply. Hand sanitize and wash your hands frequently, limit the things that you touch, and make an effort to socially distance. And, of course, wear a mask.
Protectly stocks a range of 100% authentic personal protective equipment, such as surgical masks and N95 masks. If you are planning on air travel, or simply wanting to stay informed, you might be wondering which type of mask is better for traveling on a plane. We’ve been wondering that too, so here is what we have found out:
Surgical masks are able to protect the wearer from inhalation of airborne particles, including dirt, dust, bacteria, and viruses. They are often worn by healthcare workers such as nurses and doctors when they are treating patients who have a respiratory disease or a disease that might be contagious.
N95 masks are a respirator which are 95% efficient at filtering out particles in the air, including dirt, dust, bacteria and viruses. They are more efficient at filtering out these potentially harmful particles than surgical masks, as N95 masks are equipped to filter out even very small airborne particles, which includes viruses. N95 masks are approved by NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) due to their high safety standard.
So what’s the difference – and what does that mean for your air travel?
Surgical masks are typically used for routine healthcare procedures, where they keep medical staff safe. They are also shown to be sufficient to keep civilians safe during routine activity such as going supermarket shopping or walking in public. Surgical masks are the recommended mask to wear for members of the public who are not working in a healthcare setting or exposed to many potentially-infected people.
However, N95 masks – which are recommended for people in healthcare fields or who are exposed to many potentially-infected people – are shown to provide more protection against airborne particles. While they are not currently recommended for daily use for the typical person, you may want to consider wearing a N95 mask when you are traveling on a plane due to the higher amount of protection they can provide. This could be especially important if the plane is full and you are unable to socially distance.
A team of researches at Illinois University have urged for N95 respirators to be recommended for people who are traveling by air to limit any potential spread of COVID-19 between the passengers and crew on the airplane. Wearing a mask on an airplane is especially important due to how confined the space is and how dry the air is, which mean it is a perfect environment for viral spread.
But, there is no evidence showing that an N95 mask is better than a surgical mask for air travel. Either mask will keep you and others safe. The most important thing is that you wear an authentic mask, and use your mask correctly.
Regardless of the mask that you choose to wear on a plane, make sure to pick a guaranteed authentic mask that fits you well and covers both your nose and mouth. All masks sold at Protectly are of excellent quality and 100% authentic, and many of our masks are adjustable or available in different sizes to ensure a good fit. Having a well fitting mask means that harmful particles are unable to sneak in or out through gaps that should be covered by the mask.
Also, make sure that you avoid touching or adjusting your mask once it is on – and if you do have to adjust or remove your mask, wash or sanitise your hands both beforehand and afterwards. This helps to prevent contamination and ensures that you remain protected at all times.
Whether you are looking to buy a surgical mask, an N95 respirator, or another item, Protectly.co has you covered. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, then reach out to our team via email – we might be getting it in stock soon.