My Mask Protects You
I've seen lot of people questioning the claims that we wear masks to protect other people more than to protect ourselves. It seems illogical that a mask would do a better job at preventing something from going out than it does as preventing it from coming in. So I set off to research these claims and thought it might be helpful to share my layperson summary of what I found out for those of you who, like me, have questioned this advice. I am not a scientist by any means but I am good at researching and synthesizing information. As a disclaimer, one I feel like should be included way more often than it has been, we still don't understand covid-19 very well so all information is subject to change at any given moment depending on the results of more research.
When we breathe out (or sneeze or cough), particles from our body are carried in droplets (aka spit). Those droplets are what contain virus cells if you are sick (or probably/possibly if you are about to get sick or are an asymptomatic carrier). When those droplets go into the air around you, some drop to the ground, but the majority dehydrate in air leaving the microscopic particles (virus) lingering in the air for an extended period of time. When you're wearing a mask and you breathe out, those droplets are pretty big and get stuck on the inside of your mask (even a cloth mask or bandanna). Although some air slips out the top/bottom/sides, the majority of the bigger droplets are caught in the mask and prevented from going out into the air around you to dehydrate. Picture squirting a spray bottle full of dirty water on a napkin. If you leave it to dry, the napkin will have a dirty spot on it still but that dirt isn't up floating in the air.
(here's a pretty quality visualization of droplets).
When you breathe in while wearing a mask, your level of protection is much more dependent on the quality of your mask. Those dehydrated particles from other people are lingering in the air. Once they are dehydrated, they are much smaller than droplets and much easier to be breathed in through the weave of the mask. So an n95 type mask is tight enough to prevent those virus cells from being inhaled as well as the bigger droplets exhaled, but a bandanna is less likely to stop those dehydrated bits even though it is pretty effective at stopping the droplets you breathe out. Picture dust floating around in the air being inhaled.
From what I've read, here's my summary of the effectiveness of the most common masks in use:
Since there aren't enough n-95 masks to go around so that other people don't need to worry about what you're doing, please wear a mask to protect them. And if you do have a medical reason not to wear a mask, please avoid going places where you'll interact with people who don't live in your house as much as possible.
For a society known for being individualistic to a fault, this feels like a giant "get along shirt." Either we figure out how to think about other people and make decisions with them in mind or we will destroy each other. This isn't a political statement about what should or shouldn't be legally required. It's a call to stop seeing the world through this bipartisan, us vs them lens and start looking at the people around you as valuable human beings who deserve our kindness and consideration for their well being.
When we breathe out (or sneeze or cough), particles from our body are carried in droplets (aka spit). Those droplets are what contain virus cells if you are sick (or probably/possibly if you are about to get sick or are an asymptomatic carrier). When those droplets go into the air around you, some drop to the ground, but the majority dehydrate in air leaving the microscopic particles (virus) lingering in the air for an extended period of time. When you're wearing a mask and you breathe out, those droplets are pretty big and get stuck on the inside of your mask (even a cloth mask or bandanna). Although some air slips out the top/bottom/sides, the majority of the bigger droplets are caught in the mask and prevented from going out into the air around you to dehydrate. Picture squirting a spray bottle full of dirty water on a napkin. If you leave it to dry, the napkin will have a dirty spot on it still but that dirt isn't up floating in the air.
(here's a pretty quality visualization of droplets).
When you breathe in while wearing a mask, your level of protection is much more dependent on the quality of your mask. Those dehydrated particles from other people are lingering in the air. Once they are dehydrated, they are much smaller than droplets and much easier to be breathed in through the weave of the mask. So an n95 type mask is tight enough to prevent those virus cells from being inhaled as well as the bigger droplets exhaled, but a bandanna is less likely to stop those dehydrated bits even though it is pretty effective at stopping the droplets you breathe out. Picture dust floating around in the air being inhaled.
From what I've read, here's my summary of the effectiveness of the most common masks in use:
Since there aren't enough n-95 masks to go around so that other people don't need to worry about what you're doing, please wear a mask to protect them. And if you do have a medical reason not to wear a mask, please avoid going places where you'll interact with people who don't live in your house as much as possible.
For a society known for being individualistic to a fault, this feels like a giant "get along shirt." Either we figure out how to think about other people and make decisions with them in mind or we will destroy each other. This isn't a political statement about what should or shouldn't be legally required. It's a call to stop seeing the world through this bipartisan, us vs them lens and start looking at the people around you as valuable human beings who deserve our kindness and consideration for their well being.
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