A surgical mask, also known as a procedure mask, is intended to be worn by health professionals during surgery and during nursing to catch the bacteria shed in liquid droplets and aerosols from the wearer's mouth and nose. They are not designed to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne bacteria or virus particles and are less effective than respirators, such as N95 or NIOSH masks which provide better protection due to their material, shape and tight seal. Surgical masks are popularly worn by the general public in East Asian countries to reduce the chance of spreading airborne diseases.
Theface mask having a body portion adapted to cover the nose and mouth and having means to secure said body portion over the nose and mouth, said body portion comprising a filtration medium comprising a nonwoven fabric formed of continuous thermoplastic filaments having a length of at least 2.5 inches and a diameter of from 14 to 20 microns, the filaments lying generally in planes perpendicular to the direction of the flow of air through the mask, the filtration fabric having a weight of from 47 to 61 gsm and having a thickness of from 0.01 to 0.02 inches and a void volume of about 85 percent and being substantially free of binder, and a lightweight porous nonwoven facing fabric on each major side of said filtration medium.
The India surgical mask market is driven by various factors, such as increase in elderly population, increase in adoption of surgical mask in the general population, and surge in prevalence of contagious and chronic diseases such as tuberculosis and asthma. Furthermore, rise in the number of medical device manufacturing companies is also anticipated to supplement the growth of the surgical masks industry. However, concerns with respect to disposal of non-woven disposables along with rise in prominence of less invasive surgeries are the factors anticipated to restrain the growth of the India surgical mask market.
The global sheet face masks market is expected to reach US$336.7 mn by the end of 2024. The market is projected at a CAGR of 8.7% from 2016 to 2024 and was evaluated at US$160.4 mn in 2015.
The global sheet face masks market has been witnessing a tremendous growth due to high adoption of sheet face masks in the personal care industry. The exhaustive and extensive research and development in making innovative sheet face masks is also expected to drive the growth of the overall market. Several manufacturing companies are focusing on developing products to cater to the needs of consumers, which is also expected to have a positive impact on the global market. The demand for sheet face masks is also expected to rise due to the growing need for these products amongst the elderly population. These masks promise to repair several signs of aging such as pores, wrinkles, dry lines, sagging skin, and blemishes amongst others.
According to WHO, currently, more than 4.2 million people worldwide are infected with Corona (COVID-19). In the context of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak, the World Health Organization recommends the use of masks in home and health care settings. This in turn increases demand for surgical marks. Increase in elderly population, increase in adoption of surgical mask in the general population and surge in prevalence of contagious and chronic diseases such as tuberculosis and asthma along with the rise in the number of medical device manufacturing companies and rapid developments in nonwovens production technology is poised to contribute in the growth of the surgical mask market. Increasing focus toward preventing hospital-acquired infections and improvement in healthcare infrastructure & service are also some of the factors that are contributing in the growth of the surgical mask market.
Few Indian major players are as under
Tex Healthcare (India) Pvt. Ltd
Medicare Hygiene Limited,
Cartel Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.,
Mediblue Health Care Private Limited.,
Plasti Surge Industries Pvt. Ltd.,
Medline Industries Inc.,
Premium Health Care Disposables Private Limited,
Kwalitex Healthcare Private Limited.