Back in the second half of March, I was screaming my head off to anyone who would listen about the importance of masks. My specific angle, however, was that you didn't need a medical grade mask because the utility of a mask was not as a filter but as a prophylactic to manual transmission of the virus to your face.
Social distancing was to achieve the same results, supposedly, as wearing a mask and hand washing was to prevent manual transmission of the virus. But peoples' uncovered faces were spewing out tons of droplets everywhere that landed on surfaces where the virus could survive for quite a long time. Hands were no longer clean a soon as the first surfaces were touched by them.
I was advocating that people wear ANY MASK AT ALL to prevent the transmission of the virus from your hands to your mouth, nose and eyes. I was especially aware of this route of transmission because I know I touch my face a lot. I'm not like Mike Pence. (He didn't feel that fly?)
That mask could be dirty, used, a handkerchief, anything! It's main utility was perhaps to simply remind a person not to touch their face!
I personally used a used N95 mask that my wife had used for her pottery work!
Here is an email I sent to Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Vaccine Research at the Mayo Clinic on March 23rd -
Dear Dr. Poland,
I've seen a number of your media comments on the coronavirus pandemic. I appreciate them very much. But don't you think the messaging on wearing masks has to change?
You said in one interview:
“You cannot get infected if your hands are clean before you touch your face, and if you don’t breathe in air from somebody who’s sick and coughing,” Greg Poland, professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the Mayo Clinic, tells CNBC Make It. “So as long as those two conditions exist you cannot catch this virus.”
Virtually all media messages and government messages I've seen are only talking about masks as air filters. None are talking about the use of masks as a prophylactic to keep people from touching their faces and infecting themselves.
I understand the need for the best masks going to healthcare providers but the masks that can act as barriers to the manual transmission of the virus to peoples faces need not be nearly as sophisticated.
People everywhere are asking, "What more can we do?" People are social distancing and washing their hands and doing only necessary life activities but they're still getting sick.
What they are not doing is wearing masks to protect their faces.
Government guidelines and health authorities have told them not to, that it isn't necessary unless you have to be around someone who is sick and you can't distance yourself from them.
Isn't it time for that message to change? The only countries I see making progress against the virus are those that have the population wearing masks, which helps keep the numbers of people going to health facilities down.
I have no access to mass media but I see that people are seeking your opinion on how to fight the virus. Can't you and the public relations people at Mayo Clinic help change the narrative? I can't and I'm very concerned.
Thank you for your time and your efforts,
XXXXX XXXXXX
He answered back that he agreed.
Part of the stupidity of that time was also the attitude that masks were utterly disposable items. Use a new one every time you turn around. That attitude has changed as well. Better a used mask than no mask!
Last but not least on mask messaging was the lack of appropriate protocol for wearing masks correctly. It should be broadcast to all that it is not appropriate once you put on the mask to touch it except by the straps or the very corners. Viruses, if they are present, will collect on the part of the mask where air passes through. Touching there contaminates your hands and may help any virus get through the mask.
Don't touch your masks! Except by the straps.
Sorry for the long rant but I met then the same information stonewalls on that issue as I have on letting people know about Leronlimab. Super frustrating!
Social distancing was to achieve the same results, supposedly, as wearing a mask and hand washing was to prevent manual transmission of the virus. But peoples' uncovered faces were spewing out tons of droplets everywhere that landed on surfaces where the virus could survive for quite a long time. Hands were no longer clean a soon as the first surfaces were touched by them.
I was advocating that people wear ANY MASK AT ALL to prevent the transmission of the virus from your hands to your mouth, nose and eyes. I was especially aware of this route of transmission because I know I touch my face a lot. I'm not like Mike Pence. (He didn't feel that fly?)
That mask could be dirty, used, a handkerchief, anything! It's main utility was perhaps to simply remind a person not to touch their face!
I personally used a used N95 mask that my wife had used for her pottery work!
Here is an email I sent to Dr. Gregory Poland, head of Vaccine Research at the Mayo Clinic on March 23rd -
Dear Dr. Poland,
I've seen a number of your media comments on the coronavirus pandemic. I appreciate them very much. But don't you think the messaging on wearing masks has to change?
You said in one interview:
“You cannot get infected if your hands are clean before you touch your face, and if you don’t breathe in air from somebody who’s sick and coughing,” Greg Poland, professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the Mayo Clinic, tells CNBC Make It. “So as long as those two conditions exist you cannot catch this virus.”
Virtually all media messages and government messages I've seen are only talking about masks as air filters. None are talking about the use of masks as a prophylactic to keep people from touching their faces and infecting themselves.
I understand the need for the best masks going to healthcare providers but the masks that can act as barriers to the manual transmission of the virus to peoples faces need not be nearly as sophisticated.
People everywhere are asking, "What more can we do?" People are social distancing and washing their hands and doing only necessary life activities but they're still getting sick.
What they are not doing is wearing masks to protect their faces.
Government guidelines and health authorities have told them not to, that it isn't necessary unless you have to be around someone who is sick and you can't distance yourself from them.
Isn't it time for that message to change? The only countries I see making progress against the virus are those that have the population wearing masks, which helps keep the numbers of people going to health facilities down.
I have no access to mass media but I see that people are seeking your opinion on how to fight the virus. Can't you and the public relations people at Mayo Clinic help change the narrative? I can't and I'm very concerned.
Thank you for your time and your efforts,
XXXXX XXXXXX
He answered back that he agreed.
Part of the stupidity of that time was also the attitude that masks were utterly disposable items. Use a new one every time you turn around. That attitude has changed as well. Better a used mask than no mask!
Last but not least on mask messaging was the lack of appropriate protocol for wearing masks correctly. It should be broadcast to all that it is not appropriate once you put on the mask to touch it except by the straps or the very corners. Viruses, if they are present, will collect on the part of the mask where air passes through. Touching there contaminates your hands and may help any virus get through the mask.
Don't touch your masks! Except by the straps.
Sorry for the long rant but I met then the same information stonewalls on that issue as I have on letting people know about Leronlimab. Super frustrating!
5
