What Exactly is N-95 Mask

● It is a micro-filtration mask, also termed as "Respirator"

● It acts as a "loose" filter which filters off micron particles/pollutants present in air or atmosphere (dust particles, suspended particles, soot and coarse silica)

● Main purpose is to protect your lungs from air pollution so that you can breathe freely, hence is also termed as respirator

● What does 95 indicate: it indicates 95% filtration of 0.3-micron size particles which means that anything less than 0.3-micron size will enter or permeate through your mask

● Here comes the hitch : Bacteria and Viruses are much smaller in size (nano-molecular) and hence you are not safe from bacterial and viral attack with this mask

● What does N indicate: Non-resistant or Non- barrier; it means non-filtration of bacteria and viruses which are of nano-size (50-60 nm), hence too small to be rejected by the mask.

● What to do then : Nothing, just pray that your co-passenger sitting beside you in the long flight to USA or UK is not infected with Covid-19.

● Recent reports suggest that majority of victims got infected while traveling by air because you are stationed constantly for several hours in a closed environment wherein the viruses have a field day

● In other words, you are a sitting duck!

● Time to chant "Hanuman Chalisa"!!