Face Mask - Benefits and Risks during the COVID 19 among Outpatients

The public is quickly becoming more aware of the fact that wearing a face mask prevents the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The use of reducing transmission of infected respiratory particles in both laboratory and clinical contexts. When compliance is high, wearing a mask in public helps to stop the infection from spreading. Given these shortages of medical masks, we recommend the adoption of public cloth mask wearing, as an efficient kind of source control, in conjunction with existing hygiene, distancing, and obtained in-tuned with tracing strategies. The aim of this paper is to analyze and critically discuss the regulations, which require protective masks in public to conform to similar regulations already in place in other countries.Self structured questionnaire was prepared and circulated among a sample size of 100 adults and the result was analysed using software IBM SPSS.


INTRODUCTION
"Face masks are an important component in controlling COVID-19, and policy orders to wear masks. However, behavioral responses are seldom additive, and exchanging one protective behavior for a further could undermine the COVID-19 policy response. We discovered that mask odors cause risk compensation behavior. Americans subject to the mask orders spend 11-24 fewer minutes reception on the typical and increased visits to some commercial locations-most notably restaurants, which are a high-risk location" [1]. "The pertinent need for masks arises from plausible dissemination of the SARS-CoV-2 through close contacts, moreover because of the possibility of virus transmission from asymptomatic, pre-symptomatic, and mildly symptomatic individuals. Given current global shortages in personal protective equipment, the efficacy of varied sorts of masks: N95 respirators, surgical masks, and cloth masks are researched. To accommodate limited supplies, techniques for extended use, reuse, and sterilization of masks are strategized. However, masks alone might not greatly hamper the COVID-19 pandemic unless they include adequate social distancing, diligent hand hygiene, and other proven preventive measures" [2]. "The SARS-CoV-2 could also be a respiratory virus largely spread via droplets and possibly also airborne contact. Viral spread largely occurs via exposure of the nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal mucosa to microdroplets expelled from coughing or sneezing by infected individuals. Thus, those persons wearing standard surgical face masks are still at risk for droplet exposure via the lateral, unsealed portions of the mask . On the contrary, standard respirators approved by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), namely N 95 masks, are fit and seal tested to form sure filtration of at least 95% of airborne droplets" [3].
"Few studies characterizing the efficacy of cloth masks exist. Therefore, most mask options are intended for single use only, and must be carefully doffed and disposed of within the setting of a plague , the reuse of respirators is additionally being entertained and warrants careful consideration" [4]. Currently, most of the literature available on this subject is from experimental investigations. Needless to say, all the studies demonstrated a rise in protective effects within the following order: masks for everyday use-MNP-N95/FFP-PPE. MARMasks for everyday use can have a little protective effect for the wearer. MNP offers a greater protective effect since it had been originally designed to decrease droplet elimination, therefore protecting the user's surroundings. Unfortunately, thanks to ethical reasons, there's a scarcity of randomized controlled studies on the protective role of masks within the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infections in comparison to an impact group with no masks. "The new SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is an example of a world public health emergency, which is related to considerable social and economic challenges.Adequate infection control practices are of critical importance, which include proper use of private protective equipment" [3]. "The infected individual, when talking, coughing or sneezing, spreads droplets containing the virus, directly contaminating other individuals within one to 2 meters of distance, also because of the surrounding environment. transmission mechanism may occur when aerosol-generating procedures are performed.Concerning respiratory protection, there's currently weak evidence that the utilization of respirators provides better protection than surgical masks for SARS-CoV-2 or other viruses (with the exception of aerosol-generating procedures, during which case the utilization of a respirator is recommended)" [5].
"Eye protection should be guaranteed whenever there's a risk of splashes, droplets or aerosols. the utilization of various , or above necessary, levels of private protective equipment, for the transmission route of the agent, may be a sort of misuse and may affect its supply for situations when it's clearly indicated. The adequate provision of protective equipment, also as training of healthcare professionals in its correct use, is very recommended to ensure safety of care" [6]. The limitations of this study is that the sample size of the study was less and limited to people of Tamil Nadu. In future larger samples including a wider region of India can be done.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among the adolescent population with a sample size of 100. A self administered structured questionnaire was prepared based on visual pollution and consisted of 12 questions. It was circulated to participants through an online platform (google form). The statistics were done using SPSS software, chi-square test was used to check the association and P value of 0.05 was said to be statistically significant. The pros of the survey is that the adolescents of different lifestyles and cultures were surveyed. Children and adults were excluded from the survey. Simple random sampling method was the sampling method used to minimise the sampling bias.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
"There is considerable ongoing debate on whether to recommend general public mask use (likely mostly homemade cloth masks or other improvised face coverings) ,and while things are in flux, more authorities are recommending public mask use, though they still cite appreciable uncertainty. With this study, we hope to assist inform this debate by providing insight into the potential community-wide impact of widespread mask use by members of the overall population" [7]. Our study highlights the limited evidence base supporting the efficacy or effectiveness of face masks to scale back coronavirus transmission [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. "A crucial concern when determining which public health interventions might be useful in mitigating local corona virus epidemics, and which infection control procedures are necessary to stop nosocomial transmission, is the mode of influenza virus transmission between people and within the environment" [17]. "It is identified that poor adherence to personal protective equipment during high-risk procedures and failure to receive the annual influenza vaccination as independent risk factors" [18][19][20][21]. Time lag and low sample size are the limitations of this study. In future, more numbers of population would be analysed.   7. Bar graph showing association between gender and types of face masks. X-axis represents gender and Y-axis represents the number of participants.17.14% of females and 11.43% of males responded to fabric masks. Beige colour represents homemade mask, green colour represents FFP, purple represents N95 and yellow represents surgical mask. Chi square test was done and association was found to be statistically non significant. Pearson's chi square value: 6.008, p value: 0.646 (p>0.05) hence statistically non-significant, providing females have better awareness compared to males Our team has a wealth of knowledge and research expertise, which has resulted in publications of the best quality [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29].

CONCLUSION
Face masks play a major role and it reduces transmission of air borne diseases.People of the age group 18-35 years are more aware and people of age group above 55 years are less aware. Males are more aware compared to females according to this study. This study concluded that face masks are beneficial during covid -19 among outpatients.

CONSENT
As per international standard or university standard, respondents' written consent has been collected and preserved by the author(s).

ETHICAL APPROVAL
It is not applicable.

COMPETING INTERESTS
Authors have declared that they have no known competing financial interests or non-financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.