At the beginning of Covid-19 pandemic in the US, the public was not encouraged to wear face masks for two reasons:
1)
Not
a lot of data was available to know of its effectiveness
2)
There
was a major concern the public would horde N95s and other types of personal protective
equipment (PPE), which were in severe shortage, thereby jeopardizing the front
line worker.
By late March,
the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) had reversed their initial message and
urged all Americans to wear cloth facial coverings while reserving higher grade
protective equipment like N95s for hospitals and health care workers. They
viewed this as altruistic prevention, since wearing a covering would protect
others from the germs that could be carried by the wearer.
Since then, new
data has come out which shows that not only can masking stop the spread of
Covid and even the flu, but even a cloth covering will provide some protection
to the wearer.
• May 27 Nature, Surgical
face masks significantly reduced detection of influenza virus RNA in
respiratory droplets and coronavirus RNA in aerosols, with a trend toward
reduced detection of coronavirus RNA in respiratory droplets. Our results
indicate that surgical face masks could prevent transmission of human
coronaviruses and influenza viruses from symptomatic individuals.
•
June, a World Health Organization study
found that masks may protect the wearer more than originally thought and that social distancing of 2 M (a little
over 6 feet) is more effective than 1 M (a
little over 3 feet) in stopping the spread.
In the last
week, a letter was sent to WHO, signed by 239 scientists from 32 countries, stating
that the coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air,
potentially infecting people as they inhale. WHO responded by saying "The
possibility of airborne transmission in public settings, especially in very
specific conditions — crowded, closed, poorly ventilated settings — cannot be
ruled out. However, the evidence needs to be gathered and interpreted."
As it is, what is known is that the most effective way to
transmit Covid is via droplets- A virus-filled particle of breath or spittle
that comes out of the nose or mouth of an infected individual when they
breathe, speak, cough or sneeze. Droplets generally fall to the ground within a
few feet of the person who expels them. If the droplet lands on your eyes,
nostrils or mouth-the person coughs in your face-you run the risk of becoming
infected.
Aerosols probably have some contribution to the spread but
to what extent isn’t known at this time. Viral spread via air currents has been
documented in certain indoor environments: a restaurant in China where people
were sitting downstream from an air conditioner and at a March choir practice
in Washington state. In the latter situation, choir members became sick after most
likely breathing in tiny airborne particles generated by individuals who were
infected but symptom-free at the time. How long the virus lingers in the air,
how far it travels (possibly through a room but not down the street) and how
commonly it spreads this way are unknown.
In short, the best way to protect yourself is wear a facial
covering, stay at least six feet away from people and avoid crowded places as
much as possible. If you still have questions, watch this video. Actually watch the video as it's pretty amazing how they've been able to demonstrate the impact of wearing a mask. The photography/video is amazing.
So now for the myth busing portion of the program. Continued or prolonged use of face masks
results in breathing too much of one’s own exhaled carbon dioxide, which can
cause health problems, including hypoxia. Not true.
Surgical and cloth masks do
not fit tight enough to cause problems. Neither the CDC nor the World Health
Organization have issued warnings suggesting the use of surgical face masks
would result in dangerous oxygen level depletion within the general
public.
Wearing a
cloth or surgical mask does not cause you to breathe in unhealthy
amounts of carbon dioxide.
Sore Throat
from wearing a mask?: Recently,
I was at a Memorial, were I wore a surgical mask for about four hours. I found
that I had a sore throat and an ear ache afterwards. However, this was because
the ear pieces were causing pressure. If I wear a tied mask, I have no problem
and I’ve worn them for up to 5 hours at a time.
If you do not
clean your mask, or your hands are dirty when putting on your mask, you can
take in bacteria from the environment causing a sore throat. So be sure hands
are clean when putting on your mask.
How to wear a cloth face mask: Mayo
Clinic offers some good tips on this. Place
your mask over your mouth and nose.
- Tie it behind your head or use ear loops and make sure it's snug. (Really hate it when peoples’ noses are sticking out)
- Don't touch your mask while wearing it.
- If you accidentally touch your mask, wash or sanitize your hands.
- Remove the mask by untying it or lifting off the ear loops without touching the front of the mask or your face.
- Wash your hands immediately after removing your mask.
- Regularly wash your mask with soap and water in the washing machine. It's fine to launder it with other clothes.
When
masks are not advisable: Don't put masks on anyone who has
trouble breathing, or is unconscious or otherwise unable to remove the mask
without help.
- Don't put masks on children under 2 years of age.
- Don't use face masks as a substitute for social distancing.
Can
I get a face mask exemption or waiver?: There is no such animal, even
though fake cards and flyers abound.
What kind of mask should I wear?:
Look for masks made with at least 2 layers of fabric, preferably thick cotton. Hold
the fabric up to the light. The fewer tiny holes you can see, the better it
will work. It should cover your nose and mouth without large gaps. Look for a
mask with a bendable border around the top so you can bend it to around the
bridge of your nose.
What about creating my own filter?:
Data is inconclusive on its effectiveness and some of the filters people are posting
on-line could actually cause problems
Surgical Masks: These are often given out by
hospitals and clinics and are designed for one time use. However, if you are
careful, they can be reused, though not every day for weeks on end. Also you
can’t wash them.
What to do
if you encounter people not wearing masks Yes, you want to shout at them but don’t waste your
breathe. Just move as far away from them as possible. If they continue to move
towards you, just tell them you are social distancing and back away as quickly
as possible.
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