People around the globe are having heated debates about whether wearing a face mask actually is useful for preventing the spread of COVID-19. The consensus among scientists and healthcare providers is that masks are indeed helpful if they are worn correctly. Wholesale Face Masks intended for one-time usage have always been available, but many retailers now keep a large number in stock for their customers.
Virus Transmission
The novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 spreads mainly through droplets expelled from a person’s mouth and nose. The smaller aerosol particles emitted during breathing are not as much of a problem as the larger ones expelled while sneezing and coughing. Talking quietly is also not as much of an issue as is laughing, shouting and singing. Nevertheless, talking with someone at a relatively close range for several minutes can spread infection.
The larger droplets travel about 6 ft. before gravity pulls them down. Masks prevent much of this moisture from escaping, although the devices are not 100-percent effective. This is why social distancing guidelines encourage people who do not live together to stay 6 ft. apart.
Smaller aerosol particles can linger in the air. That is why social distancing is not necessarily enough to thoroughly prevent infection, especially indoors. The combination of social distancing and the wearing of masks is a very effective strategy for preventing contagion.
Face Shields
Some people wonder if wearing a full face shield would work. They theorize that this device, attached with a headband, would also prevent droplets from exiting and entering. These individuals like the shield better because it is not confining the way a mask is.
Unfortunately, because the shield does not wrap snugly around the mouth and nose, droplets can escape from the sides and the bottom. They also can sneak inside the same way. In addition, if the virus reaches the outside of the shield, the pathogen will survive significantly longer than it would on fabric. The wearer will need to clean this device frequently with a sanitizing solution.
If someone wants to combine a mask with a shield, that does boost prevention efforts. For this reason, workers in nursing homes and other healthcare facilities may be required to wear the combination. Shields also can be purchased that attach to a headband and only cover the eyes.
Protection for the Wearer
Some individuals do not want to wear masks because they have heard that the devices are mainly for preventing an infected person from spreading the illness. Since these persons are certain they are not infected, they feel averse to wearing one. Healthcare experts have two answers for this.
First, many people carry the virus for some time before developing symptoms. Others never develop symptoms at all. In the meantime, they are contagious. They can easily spread the infection to others.
Second, masks do provide protection for the wearer. In fact, the protective effects are higher than originally thought. A study from the University of California at Davis published in July 2020 reports that wearing a mask reduces the risk of that person’s infection by 65 percent.