n4jee Loc: New Bern, NC

Will the use of a mask help stop the spread of virus'? YES! Will a mask keep you from getting Covid 19? NO
The mask is to protect the other guy from you. An n95 mask is the best but I've read that the Covid 91 virus falls in the 5% in terms of small size.
When you sneeze moisture travels outward at 200 MPH and a cough at 60 MPH. I don't remember what breathing is. A mask both retains some of the moisture and slows down what it doesn't stop altogether. If you're infected and don't know it a mask will minimize the range of the virus you spread and therefore reduce the number of people you can infect.
My wife and I wear n95 masks and wear disposable gloves like those used by food handlers when we go into any store, disposing them upon leaving the store. When I get to the car I use hand sanitizer and wash with hot soppy water when I get home. The mask protects you, the gloves protect me from toughing door handles and other things in the store that someone may have infected. I'm 78 with Diabetes and Kidney failure. If I get the virus it's most likely a death sentience.
We hit a peak of new cases in April, It started tapering off in may so we eased off on the restrictions to get the economy started. Then in June the number of new infections began to rise to where now we're back to where we were in April and I expect the trend to continue upwards as people lower their guards.
OTHER PEOPLE ARE NOT GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH, STAY AWAY FROM THEM AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

Jerry, My career centered around designing and building highly controlled environments. Personal protection was a daily part of our men's safety so we took it very, very seriously.

When protecting oneself from microscopic particles (and the size of a virus is the smallest of the small) a mask is an important line of defense.

Our lungs create a pressure lower than the atmosphere when our chest expands and air rushes in for nature abhors a vacuum. When our chest compresses it compresses the air in the lungs to a pressure greater than the atmosphere and expels the air. It's the old, in goes the good air - out goes the bad air.

Now comes the issue...when we wear a mask it restricts the airflow and our lungs create a bit deeper vacuum and because nature abhors a vacuum and the pressure differential has increased due to the restriction air will enter through any cracks and crevices. In other words, the mask's fit is not 'airtight'.

Our men, including myself, had to be trained on how to fit our masks and NO FACIAL HAIR was allowed for those who wore masks. They had to wear hoods which is an entirely different application.

The common face masks are essentially to keep a person who is contaminated from spewing aerosol particulates which could...and would...affect others. This is why surgeons and surgery attendants wear masks. It's not because the patient's exposed guts and gizzard will infect them...it's that THEIR expelled breath particulates will infect the patient.

fetzler Loc: North West PA

I hope all realize that most masks used by the public are largely for psychological purposes. There is a lot of material that passes through the mask and more so around the sides. Masks work even less well if you have facial hair. I read a study that showed with real data the effectiveness of surgical masks with flu virus. Corona viruses are about the same size. The data left me unconvinced that that the mask did anything. I was a bit surprised as I thought the mask would be more effective but none-the-less far from perfect.

UVC light is extremely dangerous. It can give you a sunburn in seconds and do even more serious damage. UVC can be effective for sterilization of some surfaces and assist in promoting the effectiveness of some laundry chemicals. It cannot be recommended for use in a non-professional environment.

Unless you have an immune deficiency use of UVC in heat ducts could inhibit your immunity making one more susceptible to disease. I suppose there are some environments where mold is a big problem.

If you wash you mask using regular laundry chemicals all should be good enough. Don't drive yourself into some sort of Howard Hughes madness.

David Martin Loc: Cary, NC

If the goal is to protect others from you, then you should never wear a mask with exhalation valve in public. An asymptomatic infected person wearing any mask with an exhalation valve, risks infecting everyone that comes near.

michaelsinger

How many deaths and how many hospitalizations have to happen before people like yourself understand how serious this is? This is not political it is public health. You have your history wrong as well. Trump and Pence are a disaster and a fount of dangerous misinformation.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Please show me the last time over 2K Hoosiers were lost related in six months to a particular virus - or over 125K Americans were lost in six months. This virus is not being over-hyped!! Do not “drink Mr. Trump’s Koolade”.

fetzler Loc: North West PA

Politicians are NOT a source of medical information. I see you inserted politics into an otherwise civil discussion. There is however a lot of unnecessary hysteria surrounding COVID-19. 17 million people in the world die of infectious disease each year without notice. In 1969 about twice as many people per capita died in the US of the flu that those from COVID in the US this year. In 1969 we had Woodstock and the world went on.

Aside from those that are independently wealthy, folks are going to have to go to work and proceed with life.
Even if you are wealthy you will need others to work to provide you goods. Perhaps you have a compound in some remote area where you grow and harvest food as well as manufacture all your other necessary goods.

Relax a bit. Life is NOT safe. Nobody gets out alive.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

Wow, some intelligent words. Thank you.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

1968-70 was a different world. ”Woodstock” is irrelevant since that pandemic really did come in two sections, and that event was between them. Yes, an estimated 100K Americans died of the flu, but authorities did not have the computerization that we do, so it kind of snuck up on them. We know from recent experiences in places like AZ and FL how the caseload can be affected by little things like wearing face masks, and how the death toll can be raised when cases reach the limit of our humans and machines to deal with them; our total loss this year could have been much higher without those measures, and they easily could have reacted the same way if they had not been so ignorant.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Thanks. I just ordered two.

michaelsinger

Sir, I have not injected politics into this discussion; DT and MP politicize everything and then claim they are the victims of politization. If you don't buy into them you certainly mimic them. Oh, I am relaxed.

David Martin Loc: Cary, NC

False comparison.
The pandemic of which you speak, with 100,000+ deaths in the U.S., spanned 1968-1970.
Whereas we've had 128,621 Covid-19 deaths in just 6 months, and our pandemic is not over yet.
Furthermore, as rehess said, Woodstock occurred during a lull in that pandemic (H3N2 tapered off in March '69 and did not flare back up until November), and was not held while that pandemic was still in full swing.

Vigneron

The first U.S. death was on Feb. 28th, so the 128,621 deaths have occurred in just four months.

Vigneron

So, are you saying don't wear any mask and everyone will be safer?

There is nothing to prevent you from wearing a cloth mask over an N95 and like I said, if you don't have an infection then the N95 will help prevent you from getting it and if you don't get it, you will not pass on to others. I guess that is a difficult concept for some.

Denial is NOT a river in Egypt.

nikonbrain Loc: Crystal River Florida

All I can give is my opinion on Masks this is My life I only have one..I have 2 OSHA approved masks one is a model 6000 half face mask by 3M fitted with P100 particle filters meaning they filter 100% of particles .3 Microns or larger I also have Charcoal canisters fitted with P95 pre filters for spraying acid cured finishes some with levels of VOC's this is what I have been wearing . They are some what bulky but with N95 masks being bought up by speculators and sold on Amazon for 10 times what they cost it's something you can still buy on the web .So I found a mask used by doctors , drywall mechanics ,woodworkers and was affordable, with replaceable N95 filters .https://envomask.com/?_ga=2.6408498.1007173569.1593463488-1298408854.1592520610 this masks isn't cheap @ $79.00 plus $10..00 shipping I have bought 2 one for Me and 1 for my Lady...so what is your life or Lady worth anyways,,,? think about it when you buy your next lens ... The best Masks by 3M and others only go down to .3 microns but Covid 19 is .17 microns but have to travel on a drop of spittle or body fluid which is 5 microns...P.S. P95 + P100 have an anti oil designation and are 40 hour masks or 30 days on the charcoal canisters or till clogged . N95 filters are 1 time use or day filters ,but hospitals have found ways to bulk clean them in these scarce times...