PROTECT YOURSELF: WEAR A MASK

There is way too much debate about wearing face masks/covering to protect yourself and minimize the spreading of SARS-CoV-2.  This should not be debated, and if people won’t sensibly wear face masks in public it should be mandated.

The public information was weak,

1. Focusing the public’s cautions on touching, hand to face, coughing and sneezing
2. Stating, don’t wear face masks, clearly, and understandably to save the PPE for the medical personnel and first responders. 
3. Eventually, “social” distancing.
4. Next, coming around to masks and face covering for persons who believed they may be ill or the most vulnerable
5. Then, people in specific industries
6. Finally, now, in some places, everyone in public.

It is these weak official stances which have confused people, even people who at first glance seem quite sensible and capable of critical thinking.  Let us get this straight once and for all.

WE HAVE KNOWN THAT BREATH CAN CARRY VIRUSES

If you believe that not touching objects in public places and not touching your face before washing your hands, and that social distancing alone will protect you, then you have a fairly good chance of having grueling pain or/and death in your near future, and an even higher chance of taking down a loved one or coworker eventually.

It is a known fact that coughing and sneezing can expel the virus further than 12 feet and can remain in the air for up to 10 seconds and more recently, talking and possibly breathing can expel the virus from the lungs.

With every breath we expel moisture droplets, proteins and DNA from our lungs, and possibly viruses.  It is important to note that:

• Breath droplets can carry viruses (SARS) and travel more than one meter, says a 2007 study
• Viruses such as the flu virus CAN be spread just by breathing through aerosols released from breathing, which was found in a study released in 2018 and
• There are other studies supporting the same likelihood of VIRAL transmission by breath.

Think about this the next time you don’t have on a mask and you are walking past someone without a mask, see them putting out your food on the supermarket shelf, fixing the meal you just bought, delivering your item to your house or desk at work.  They are breathing all over everything, in the air you are walking past, on your shoes, everywhere.

Do you KNOW that they are not infected? With an infectious two, or three week incubation period, CAN they know?

YES, A MASK CAN PROTECT YOU AND OTHERS

Most of your possible encounters will not be with an airborne state of the virus, it will most likely be air-carried. Meaning it will be bound in moisture droplets from someone’s nostrils or mouth. There are many fibers which can prove to be a functional barrier.

A large study, Sep. 3, 2019, in the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) compared the surgical/medical mask to the N95 respirator. The study reported… “no significant difference in the effectiveness” of medical masks vs. N95 respirators for prevention of influenza or other viral respiratory illness.

It is apparent from this study that for protection from droplet carried viral transmission, a barrier from the droplets is functional.  The sealing of the mask, and very high-grade materials appear less significant than generally believed.

Interestingly, some “homemade” style masks have been proven to offer better protection than surgical masks; some have even passed FIT tests. MASKS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

HOMEMADE MASK MATERIALS

A team of medical professionals at the Wake Forest Baptist Health tested over 400 masks and 13 designs and found that some hardly worked at all while some models, in particular, at least double folded quilter’s cotton, worked better than surgical masks. They provided up to 75-79 percent filtration. MASKS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

AVAILABLE FABRICS

• 600-count pillowcase material, 4 layers are recommended (4 layers capture almost 3 times the number of particles than 2 layers)
• High fiber density cotton materials, such as quilting cotton and sheet cotton (4 layers)

• Flannel pajama materials
• HALYARD H600 fabric (filters bacteria, viruses untested)
• Air filters with a MERV rating of 12 and above, or, performance rating greater than 1900
• HEPA rated vacuum cleaner bags

If you do not have a mask these options are better than nothing

• Bandanas
• Scarves
• Cut out t-shirts
• Cut out tea cloths

1. When using filter materials, they MUST be layered between a fabric, preferably cotton to prevent the inhalation of fibers.

1. Use cotton thread when sewing.
2. DO NOT put cloth masks on children under the age of 2, people who cannot independently remove the mask and people who have trouble breathing.
3. Sanitize your hands before and after handling your mask, never touch the face section of your mask and wash after each use.

TEST YOUR MATERIALS

Surely, blowing through a mask and outing a match or lighter is a good indicator that a material or mask is not sufficiently resisting the flow of particles, as seen on some videos being shared on social media. But, the light test, I believe has even more efficacy. HOLD YOUR MATERIAL UP TO A LIGHT SOURCE, IF YOU CAN PRACTICALLY SEE THE FIBERS IT IS NOT A GOOD MATERIAL.

Add more layers to your material, or, source a more densely weaved or thicker material. Re-test until not much light passes through.  Remember you should still be able to breath.

WEAR YOUR MASK IN PUBLIC

Studies in this pandemic have found increasing evidence that, through droplets at close enough distances can, transfer the virus from person to person.  There is existing research showing that water droplets EXHALED BY YOUR LUNGS can literally exhale viruses, everywhere, on all surfaces, parcels, foods, produce, goods and in the walking path of others.

I strongly recommend that:

• All supermarket workers and food handlers wear masks, at the very least any nose and mouth covering or a face veil. 
• Masks should also be worn by delivery people, construction workers, utility people, drivers, other essential service workers.
• Masks should clearly be worn by infected individuals in homes with others, those at home with infected individuals.
• Everyone in public should all be mandated to wear masks, as, at this point the operating premise should be that every person may be infected.

Forget about the inconvenience. A protective face covering is invaluable and beyond worth the effort. Life should not to be gambled with. It is only by stopping transmission that this pandemic will be abated.  Be safe, maintain physical distancing and all hygiene protocols.