Lots of people doubt the effectiveness of cloth masks as they can’t filter out tiny viral particles that are minuscule.
But most of the viral particles leave the mouth and nose in much bigger droplets that eventually become smaller through evaporation as they move away from the body. Hence, trapping droplets with the mask can prevent most of the viral particles from escaping. This means if everyone wears well-constructed, well-fitting masks, it would provide an extra layer of safety for everyone.
According to the University of Stanford, ‘if two people are wearing masks, the viral particles can travel only about 5 feet away from each individual. When an infected person is not wearing a mask, those particles can float through the air 30 feet or more and stay alive for up to 30 hours.’
In addition, about 40% of people infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 may be asymptomatic. However, when they talk or cough, they can spread the virus to others in the form of respiratory droplets released into the air. These droplets evaporate into fine particles that may linger for a long time as mentioned above, but the cloth mask can trap these larger droplets before they can evaporate and become fine particles.
A study published in April in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that a cloth mask offers more protection than a surgical mask for people nearby. Researchers, using measurement for viral loads, found 2.42 log copies per milliliter on the exterior of surgical masks and 1.85 log copies per milliliter on the exterior of cloth masks of infected patients at two hospitals in Seoul, South Korea.
Theses studies substantiate that cloth masks are effective in preventing large respiratory droplets from escaping into the air. If all the parties in the gatherings wear cloth masks, it would significantly decrease the spread of COVID-19 as cloth masks effectively protect nearby people from possible infection if you sneeze and expel droplets of SARS-CoV-2. (the coronavirus that causes COVID-19)
Author: Seoyeon Stephanie Chung
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