Can face masks stop the virus from spreading
@jrlcentral (2601)
Roxas, Philippines
November 9, 2020 4:26am CST
Many experts believe that wearing a face mark does not guarantee that you will not catch the coronavirus. I believe that they are correct.
In my experience, wearing a face mask makes breathing a little difficult, especially when I wear cloth masks.
But why do I wear a face mask and a face shield whenever I go out? Not simply because the government said so, but because it DOES HELP prevent the virus from spreading... not just the coronavirus.
The coronavirus is spread thru the droplets secreted when an infected person sneezes or coughs. Or probably when he touch or wipe his/her nose or mouth with a bare hand.
When a person sneezes without a mask, the droplets could be thrown about six feet away... or some say ten. That's why social distancing is important.
If you are facing that person in close proximity, those droplets could easily land on your face. With or without a virus, I don't want my face exposed to those droplets. Yuck!
But if that person who sneezed or coughed is wearing a facemask, there is a little chance that those droplets could go beyond the mask. So, would you not be thankful if the person who sneezed or coughed in front of you is wearing a face mask?
I agree that a face mask can not protect you from the virus 100%, but it could cut down the chances of getting it.
So, I'd endure a little difficulty in breathing whenever I am outside...
When I have to go to work though, I would find a place where I can be alone and remove my mask.
However, the best thing to do is to stay inside the house as much as possible.
Stay safe.
11 people like this
11 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
9 Nov 20
Face masks significantly reduce other people's chances of catching droplet-borne infections from YOU. They protect you rather little from catching the infection from others.
There are THREE simple steps to preventing the virus spreading uncontrollably:
1) Keeping a safe distance from others (2 metres)
2) Wearing a mask, especially, in enclosed spaces, when interacting with others.
3) Being careful to wash/sanitize hands frequently.
Nobody is entirely safe but the above measures WILL control the spread and help to relieve the pressure on hospital intensive care. if everyone understands them and follows them.
There are other measures, of course, such as limiting contact in un-related groups either to a certain number or altogether, closing shops and businesses, especially those which are non-essential and those where people tend to gather socially, imposing restrictions on travel and several more.
Rapid testing and tracing of contacts is also valuable because most will not display symptoms for 7 to 14 days and many will never display symptoms, even though they are infections.
It has been clearly demonstrated in the UK and elsewhere that, wherever the above restrictions have been relaxed or ignored, the number of cases rises sharply.
2 people like this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
9 Nov 20
@LadyDuck We already have a month's lockdown with severe restrictions on travel and pubs and restaurants and other social gatherings. My main criticism is that the advice changes almost daily and too rapidly, so it becomes rather confusing. I cannot really see any other way it could happen, though, even in this age of lightning communication.
I'd like to say that "everyone is doing a marvellous job" (and, for the most part, they are) but there are serious communication issues and also a number of people who still don't take it seriously enough. I don't think that, at the moment, any hospital or medical service in the UK is quite beyond their limit of coping but there is a big danger that it will get that way if the restrictions aren't observed. I would NOT like to be in the position of authority we vest in our politicians!
Vaccines are certainly not far off but the priority for their use will first go to the medical personnel who are most at risk, then to the critically vulnerable (such as me) and only then to the public at large. Also, there is still some doubt as to how long immunity actually lasts in those who have recovered from infection and those who have received the vaccine. The virus is mutating all the time and what may work for one mutation may well not be effective for a new form.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (459126)
• Switzerland
9 Nov 20
@owlwings We have restrictions, but we are not (yet) in lockdown. The advice changes every week, people are confused and many are glad of unclear rules so they continue to do as the virus does not exist.
We have the same situation, the doctors and nurses are beyond their limit and they are asking for an immediate lockdown. The authorities fear the consequences of a new lockdown for the economy. I know it's not an easy decision, just like you I would not like to be a politician right now.
The first supplies of vaccine will go to the doctors and nurses to protect them, they will then decide which are the categories of people "at risk". The virus is mutating and this makes very difficult to produce a reliable vaccine.
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15833)
• Manchester, England
9 Nov 20
In the UK the number of infections carried on rising long after it was made mandatory to wear face masks in shops and other indoor public spaces.
I wear one because I don't feel I have anything to lose by doing so but the numbers would suggest they aren't particularly effective.
2 people like this
@jrlcentral (2601)
• Roxas, Philippines
14 Nov 20
Wearing a facemask alone is indeed not effective in stopping the virus from spreading. In fact, a facemask is entirely useless if you keep touching your face with your hands. However, as I have mentioned, it helps reduce the chance for the virus to spread since it could stop the droplets in case the person wearing it sneezes or coughs. Thus, wearing a face-mask and other preventive measures must be observed all together.
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15833)
• Manchester, England
15 Nov 20
@jrlcentral I think the main problem with masks is that people naturally scratch their faces and fiddle with the mask without thinking. It's very difficult to change your behaviour almost overnight. It's the same with social distancing. I've spent 55 years socialising with people without restriction. You can't undo that behaviour virtually overnight.
@ARIES1973 (11426)
• Legaspi, Philippines
9 Nov 20
Wearing face mask and face shield along with other health protocols such as handwashing and social distancing might be of help. I also make sure not to use public transportation.
1 person likes this
@jrlcentral (2601)
• Roxas, Philippines
14 Nov 20
yeah... sometimes I sneeze because of the facemask. heheh
1 person likes this
@Namelesss (3368)
• United States
9 Nov 20
I would be just as happy if the person coughing or sneezing did so into their elbow or sleeve or tissue. You know, like we used to do it.
1 person likes this
@florelway (23160)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
9 Nov 20
It's been my habit to cover my face.with handkerchief whenever I am.in crowded places especially when riding bus or jeep so it's also similar to wearing mask and shield.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
9 Nov 20
For many months my country had an "anti-mask" strategy. They were afraid that masks would give people a false sense of safety. They thought that people would stop practicing social distancing etc if they were asked to wear masks, and they didn't want people to think that masks replace the other guidelines.
Now we have to wear masks almost everywhere, and I think that is a good thing, but I also think it is important to provide information about things that masks can and can't do. Masks aren't perfect, they reduce the risk, but the other guidelines are important as well.
@Babale (1869)
• Semarang, Indonesia
14 Nov 20
Indeed, wearing a health mask will not prevent one hundred percent of the transmission of the covid-19 virus. But it's still better than not using it at all.
