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Healthcare Workers Getting Injury to Skin (pressure ulcers on face), Getting Scars From Their N95 Masks

(REFINERY29) – Very interesting article on how healthcare workers are getting injured and scarred from their face masks. For instance, there is a well known image that has gone viral with millions of views on social media as below.

Many N95 masks fit tightly to on the face of healthcare workers. They have to be air tight since the viral particles can make their way through any opening. As a result, the seal can be quite painful, high pressure and lead to “pressure” related injury and ulcers just like a bed sore resulting from local ischemia. The face is highly vascularized and therefore even more susceptible to visual scarring and bruising especially since healthcare workers wear masks for an extended period of time. Check out the source article at Refinery29