Not all Covid Masks are equal, There is a lot of hype and fake news about masks. The demand for masks has attracted shrewd marketers and outright frauds. The gold standard remains the N95 or KN95. The homemade variety and fashionable masks may or may not satisfy the requirements to block particles less than 2.5 microns, which is the standard for N95 masks.
Even though it has been widely known that wearing a face mask will help mitigate the community spread of COVID-19, less is known regarding the specific effects of masks in reducing the viral load in the respiratory tracts of those wearing them. In Physics of Fluids, by AIP Publishing, researchers from the University of Massachusetts Lowell…and California Baptist University examined the effect of wearing a three-layer surgical mask on inspiratory airflows and the mask’s effects on the inhalation and deposition of ambient particles in the upper respiratory airways. “It is natural to think that wearing a mask, no matter new or old, should always be better than nothing. Our results show that this belief is only true for particles larger than 5 micrometers, but not for fine particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers,” said author Jinxiang Xi.
The researchers found that wearing a mask with low (less than 30%) filtration efficiency can be worse than without.
They developed a computational face mask model using a physiologically realistic model of a person wearing a surgical mask with pleats and then using numerical methods to track the particles through the mask. They examined the behavior and fates of aerosols passing through the mask, onto the face, into the airway, and, eventually, where they deposit in the nose, pharynx, or deep lung.
The model showed a mask changes the airflow around the face, so that instead of air entering the mouth and nose through specific paths, air enters the mouth and nose through the entire mask surface but at lower speeds.
The lower speed near the face favors the inhalation of aerosols into the nose, so even though masks filter out certain numbers of particles, more particles escaping mask filtration can enter the respiratory tract.
The video clearly elaborates on what type of mask you should be wearing.
Despite warnings about distancing sanitizing and mask-wearing the pandemic is presently in an explosive phase (logarithmic). This is undoubtedly caused by holiday activities. The fact is that even if you invite only family you are at risk of contracting COVID 19.
Chris Christy, Governor of New Jersey confessed on CNN how wrong he was about wearing masks. He was caught up in political expediency during an election cycle. Christy explained how everyone was tested at the Republican event at the White House. He was told everyone was tested and could only enter if testing was negative. This raises serious questions about rapid testing and if it is reliable. The results speak for themselves.
There are almost as many opinions about wearing masks. Infection rates were very high in Texas since many people would not wear masks, businesses remained open and life was about 80% of pre-Covid times. Ross Perot gave an interesting assessment of Texas' economy
The virus is out there.
You can find the complete report below
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