That is an informative and interesting video. It really does drive home the need to keep one’s distance and not to be in areas with people and stagnant air flow. Thanks, bluemax_1.
Not saying they should not be worn while out in public, but I wonder how much protection the home made cloth masks offer to that level of micro particle contamination. We could be walking through clouds of those micro particles in a grocery store- even if it’s just from people talking loud, as the video points out. I would hope that the cloth masks, at least, limit the spewing part of it, a bit. Mike
I posted earlier in the thread, that viral load plays a significant role in whether a specific individual gets a mild or severe case from infection.
If EVERY single person out and about wore a facial covering (whether it's one of the impossible to find N95s, a paper surgical mask, shop half face respirator or even a thick cotton t-shirt wrapped around their face), it would greatly decrease the rate of transmission.
This happens from several ways:
1) it reduces the amount of aerosolized virus spewed by an infected person
2) while a t-shirt, bandanna or scarf may not filter as well as an N95 or N100/P100 respirators, it will still filter a percentage of inhaled particles, reducing the viral load from exposure to an infected person, which could mean the difference between getting something akin to a bad cold vs needing hospitalization.
3) the other common method of infection is from contact with fomites (virus on contaminated surfaces), and transferring them to mucus membrane through face contact. The facial covering inhibits touching your mouth and nose. Be aware that the virus can also enter through the eyes, so be careful of touching/scratching your eyes.
I understand why the administration initially told people, "You don't need masks. They don't help. Don't buy them. Our HCWs need them", but I don't agree with it, or the way they presented it.
They should have simply stated, "We need the N95 masks for our HCWs, but everyone going out in public should wear a facial covering. You can use a towel, t-shirt, pillowcase etc.". It could have greatly reduced the rate of transmission from inhalation and contact.
If you don't have any dust masks, shop respirators, N95s etc.
P.S.
2 materials that actually filter micro-droplets quite well:
- 2 layers of the standard blue mechanics shop towels
- synthetic material with high electrostatic properties (which is why you see the big difference above between 100% cotton vs cotton blend t-shirts for filtering 0.02 micron particles). If the shirt/pillowcase/whatever clings like velcro to you when you remove it from a dryer without using dryer sheets/softener, micro particles will stick to it well. Hmmm... Swiffer duster outer layer?
