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Respiratory infections use the mouth and nose, in which they spread in three different ways:
- “Droplets”: drops of liquid that you expel from your mouth and nose.
- “Aerosols”: very small particles that mix with the air and can remain there for hours.
- Surfaces: For example, you cough in your hand and press a doorknob, which is then touched by another person.
Since nobody usually coughs in your face, the authorities argued that the value of wearing a mask is generally low for people. However, the value for health professionals is enormous because they are more often directly exposed to the droplets of sick patients - for example, when they cough, when they are intubated or in similar situations.
Because very few masks were available, many authorities around the world decided to use them primarily for medical personnel and to discourage the rest of the population from using them.
It was right to give priority to health workers. But instead of saying, "They are much more helpful to health workers, so it is right to have masks ready for them," some authorities claimed were useless - or even dangerous to the general public. This undermined the credibility of these authorities.
Then the first research results were published.
Apparently the droplets could be carried much further than two meters when coughing or sneezing, and did not fall so abruptly to the ground. Some of them fell, but many got stuck in the droplet cloud
Then it was found that you don't even have to cough. could be enough. In a 60-member choir in Washington State, 45 members became infected. Self talk can already suffice
Or just breathe!
That makes masks very, very important. A mask can prevent infected people from ejecting droplets and healthy people from absorbing them.
But there are no masks! There is a shortage worldwide. The few that we have are required for medical personnel. What should we do?
Fortunately, some researchers have found that professional masks are not required.
Homemade masks are also quite suitable.