US Surgeon General Urges Public to ‘Stop Buying Masks’ Amid Shortages

The Epoch Times ^ | February 29, 2020 Updated: February 29, 2020 | Janita Kan

[21twelve]

I skimmed those two articles and didn't see anything about the sizes of the viruses. Here is a link to an article and an excerpt. An N95 mask (if worn correctly - one study showed only 20% of people wore them properly) can be effective to some degree. 46% of the virus (common flu virus - an older study) were found to be larger than .4 microns. Of course, that means that about half of the particles are smaller than the .3 microns that the N95 masks work on. So I'm not sure if that means the masks are effective to some degree, or if they let in 50% of the particles - that is pretty much useless. I imagine there are other studies (heck - it might be in the one I linked) about how large a viral load has to be in order to get the disease. I guess if an N95 mask is all you have it can't hurt to use it - as long as you don't think it makes you bullet-proof. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/av/2014/859090/ Alford and colleagues [7] studied the aerosol particles of influenza virus suspensions with a diameter of 1–3 μm. Blachere, with colleagues [26], revealed that 46% of influenza virus particles were found in the first stage of the samplers, which collected particles with a diameter of >4 μm. However, 49% of the isolates were collected in the second stage, which collects particles with a diameter of 1–4 μm, and 4% were collected on the back-up filter, which collects particles with a diameter of <1 μm. These findings indicate that 99% of the total viral particles were found in the respiratory aerosol fraction.

[21twelve]

Sorry about that - it showed paragraphs when I previewed. I tried editing it now with no luck. Here's the excerpt: Alford and colleagues [7] studied the aerosol particles of influenza virus suspensions with a diameter of 1–3 μm. Blachere, with colleagues [26], revealed that 46% of influenza virus particles were found in the first stage of the samplers, which collected particles with a diameter of >4 μm. However, 49% of the isolates were collected in the second stage, which collects particles with a diameter of 1–4 μm, and 4% were collected on the back-up filter, which collects particles with a diameter of <1 μm. These findings indicate that 99% of the total viral particles were found in the respiratory aerosol fraction.

[trebb]

Yep - not to mention the masks are most effective in containing sneezes and coughs from the infected by reducing quantity and distance sprayed - and a lot less effective as a way to stop the virus from entering one - need a sealed mask that also includes the eyes (gas mask style) to do that....and then there’s the chance of getting the virus from the surfaces of the protective equipment and giving it to yourself.

[Hazwaste]

I wear the 3M masks when cutting the yard, to help with my allergies. Wish I had bought more last year when I ran out. Saw someone on Amazon selling two N99 masks for $200. Insanity. Guess it’ll be a rough allergy season this year.

[JD_UTDallas]

You are dead right about the exterior surfaces of PPE. When I was stationed at Anniston Army depot we had to be proficient in using BL4 level suits due to the chemical weapons being stored and incinerated at that location during that period. This was due to the shells being moved around some 50+ years old that if dropped could rupture. When we trained to properly don and remove the suits we would spray blue dyed sticky corn syrup all over the outside of the suits. The task was to remove the suit without a single trace of bright blue sticky on you. Not one person myself included did it right the first time, most took 4 or 5 tries to get it right. N95 masks leave the eyes open this bug killed a young Chinese doctor via eye transmission. Only full face masks double seal and P100 or higher will be effective against a true aerosol virus. Ear foam plugs as well yet another over looked orifice.

[JD_UTDallas]

$200 is about right for a full face N99 or P100 rated mask. I paid $150 each for two full face P100 masks in 2016 well after the Ebola thing hit Dallas filters up till recently were $20 for a pair of organic rated P100 cartridges. Unless you are talking about the disposal paper and fiber N99 half masks?

[Hazwaste]

Yes, they were the disposable kind.

[JD_UTDallas]

Dang...I have a few boxes of P100 half masks for yard work sell them for a couple grand and buy the CZ 550 I have always wanted in 375 H&H the gentlemen’s cartridge. I used the P100 due to the exhaust valve rather than the N95s that get all hot wet and nasty in Texas summer heat. Masks without eye protection is useless against covid19 though.

[Taxman]

Thank you for the clarification.

“What is an accurate statement is most nonmedical professionals will not wear a perfectly effective mask properly and that will render it useless.”

That is the money sentence, and is what I was referring to.

If I were a medical professional and was working in contact with patients who had communicable diseases, I use full precautions, also.

[trebb]

Yep - and even worse for those who think the cloth masks will help them - I’d imagine many never think about the fact that even if the mask helped keep them from inhaling some virus, that it is likely to reside on the mask...false sense of security is just as bad as no security in many cases “in the wild”...

[Raebie]

So let me get this straight. They won’t do us any good in protecting us from the virus, but are essential to the protection of healthcare workers? Is that what they’re saying?

[Sirius Lee]

With black bears coming out of hibernation, don't forget to keep your trash cans inside the garage until the morning of trash pickup.
Help prevent nuisance bears, won't you?

"Making coronavirus threads useful since 2020" - Serius Lee

[E. Pluribus Unum]

So let me get this straight. They won’t do us any good in protecting us from the virus, but are essential to the protection of healthcare workers? Is that what they’re saying?

Reread what I said and get back to me.

If you can read, which apparently you can't.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I thought you had responded to one of my other posts.

Masks can help prevent an infected person from infecting others, but a mask does nothing to prevent you from being infected if you come into contact with an infected person.

Basically it can trap the infected aerosols people emit when the speak and breathe.

[Raebie]

Reread what I said and get back to me.

If you can read, which apparently you can’t.
********************************************************

Nice.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I apologize. I thought you had responded to something else. It’s hard to keep track sometimes.

[Raebie]

Thanks. I get that. :-)