There has been an awful lot said and unsaid about masks. Here are a few facts that I have gleaned from my experience and reading the news.
UPDATE: Recently the experts recommended wearing a surgical paper mask and then a double layered home made mask over the first one. This gives even more protection as they see the new mutant strain of the virus spreading rapidly and it is more contagious. They are trying to slow or stop the spread! Let’s all do our part.
In a recent study, looking at the passengers that were stuck on the cruise ships at the beginning of this Covid pandemic because nobody would allow them to dock at any of the ports: About 8 to 12% of the passengers developed the disease while the rest of them quarantined in their rooms and wore bandannas when they were out. Two months later blood tests were done to see how many of those people developed antibodies to Covid. About 90% had developed antibodies and immunity to the virus and never got sick. This is one of the most contagious viruses known to mankind and this is an amazing result. What it does show is that no mask is 100% effective. The “N 95” mask still allows 5% of viral particles through the mask. It turns out that even wearing a bandanna reduces the viral exposure down to a minimal amount, so your body can then process that low exposure and develop its own immunity. It’s almost like having a slow motion vaccination and not developing the disease.
The moral of the story is that wearing any mask protects you and others. It allows your body to naturally develop immunity if you get exposed. It’s the best way to stop this virus short of having a vaccine.
In South America, it is flu season. The officials are worried that between Covid and the flu, they would overwhelm the hospitals with the sick and patients could not get the care that they needed. So they recommended that everybody get the flu vaccine this year. The people listened and did it in record numbers. This year is the lowest number of cases of flu they have ever seen. It almost as if the flu doesn’t exist and very few sick people in the hospitals. Between wearing masks and getting the vaccinations in record numbers, they have almost wiped out the flu.
The moral of the story is get your flu vaccination this year and wear any mask.
Duke university did some testing on different masks. They were trying to see how many particles went through these different masks as well as what were the best defenses that we could put up when doing eye exams. They found at the N 95 mask is obviously one of the better ones, surgical masks were second and right with the surgical mask was the two layer homemade cloth masks. They were almost as good as surgical masks. Next came bandannas and the worst was the neck gator as it had large openings in the cloth and was about as good as not wearing a mask. The masks with vents were also not protective.
The moral of the story is wearing an N 95 mask without a vent, a surgical mask or a homemade 2 layer mask is the best way to protect yourself and others.
Stay safe, stay well and let’s all pull together to stop this pandemic, WEAR A MASK PLEASE!
East Carolina Retina Consultants 