Summary on Innovative Face Mask
This will be a summary on the article “Innovative Face Mask Breaks Inclusivity Barriers " ‘Helloface’ is an innovative transparent alternative to Type IIR EN14683 medical face masks made up of a 3-ply construction that prevents large particles from reaching patients" (University of Hertfordshire, 2022). The usage of masks greatly increased during the Covid19 Pandemic and the creator of Helloface, Dean Ezekiel, found that face masks created an obstacle for talking between people; thus, he launched a new company to face that problem by producing clear facemasks. The plan to start the company was inspired by his wife, who is partially deaf and needed lip reading to help her understand when she could not hear the person. Dean understood that being able to communicate via lip reading and facial expression is important as there are 11 million people in the UK registered as deaf or blind and it would help out in the medical sector and other industries where facial recognition is crucial. Because there are so many people who are deaf or have trouble hearing, According to University of Hertfordshire (2022), that how important facial recognition is for communication in the medical field. For those who are deaf or have trouble hearing, a clear and inventive face mask that allows others to read lips may be more important than a standard mask for preventing COVID-19.
Before the pandemic, most people did not frequently wear face masks. However, the use of face masks became increasingly widespread as a result of the rapid COVID-19 outbreak. This has caused a difficulty that many individuals encounter. Research done by the University of Sydney’s Voice Research Laboratory discovered how the voice changes when wearing a facemask (Blowes, 2021). I believe that wearing an innovative face mask would help people with medical conditions like hearing loss and respiratory conditions to overcome the disadvantages that come with wearing a face mask during the pandemic.
One concern with face masks is that they conceal half of the face, which could lead to difficulties. It is known that there are 430 million people, or over 5% of the human population, who need rehabilitation to fix their hearing loss (432 million adults and 34 million children) (World Health Organization, 2021). Many of those 430 million individuals depend on lip reading or facial expression to communicate with others. Even the majority of those who have hearing loss do not use sign language, making it difficult for many individuals to interact with those who have hearing loss using sign language. A study showed that only 1% of those with hearing loss use sign language (Lacke,2020). Because of this, folks who have hearing loss are at a tremendous disadvantage because they can't read lips or observe others' facial expressions. As a result, using transparent face masks like the recently developed Helloface face mask would be very helpful.
Breathing difficulties are another issue that people have when wearing a facemask. This is especially true for those who suffer from ailments like asthma. According to the World Health Organization (2022), there were 262 million people affected by asthma. Asthma is a respiratory condition that affects breathing. According to an article by Botterman (2022), researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago did an online survey with 501 adults with asthma regarding mask usage during COVID-19. The survey showed that when wearing a mask, 84% of people experienced discomfort, and 75% reported trouble breathing or shortness of breath at least a little. A good answer to this would be to have an innovative face mask that would make it easier for people with respiratory disorders to use. Anybody could adopt this mask since most people have encountered discomfort with breathing with the face mask.
The fact that standard face masks might not be suitable for everyone is yet another issue with them. The often purchased face masks typically have a similar shape and size. The mask might not always be able to fit comfortably and offer protection from infections or pollution. The one-size-fits-all mask design may cause more severe problems in more vulnerable individuals. As a result, rather than just employing cloth or fabric, an innovative face mask is made to fit people's features. A mask company named IdMASK has designed a face mask using silicon that works like an adhesive bra to make it fit the shape of the user's face and ensure that it is 100% airtight (Clifford, 2020)
Innovative face masks for persons with medical disorders are, in my opinion, a positive thing, but they might not be suitable for everyone. As most people won't consider using face masks to tackle the their medical condition not everyone is looking for creative face masks that could aid them. Given that the standard face mask in use is ubiquitous and more affordable for the majority of people, the innovative facemask may not be commonly found.
Finally, most people would be able to use a face mask on a daily basis without issue. However, others may not be as fortunate. Innovative face masks were developed and made to help those who encounter problems due to their medical conditions without compromising safety during the pandemic. Thus, with the help of innovative face masks, those with medical conditions would be able to cope with the difficulties in wearing face masks.
Blowes, M. (2021). Study reveals how face masks hinder communication. University of Sydney News.
Clifford, C. (2020). 10 innovative face masks designed by young people competing for $1
million XPRIZE—take a look. CNBC.
Lacke, S. (2020). Do All Deaf People Use Sign Language?
https://www.accessibility.com/blog/do-all-deaf-people-use-sign-language
University of Hertfordshire. (2022). Innovative Face Mask Breaks Inclusivity
Barriers.
World Health Organization. (2022). Asthma.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asthma
World Health Organization. (2021). Deafness and hearing loss.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss
I appreciate the revision, Lester.
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