How on earth can a suitable mask NOT PROTECT?

Since day one of this nasty virus epidemic I have been listening to doctors from all over the globe saying that there is not enough or the lack of evidence to 'suggest' that face masks will not be beneficial in protecting the 'wearer'.

It was a very long time ago when my x ray showed scarring to both lung fields.

Due to me being a commercial heating engineer I handled asbestos which nowadays anyone handling it without having permission within the legislation to handle it can be fined heavily. When the government decided to 'let the cat out of the bag' by publicising the fact that asbestos fibres can kill all those who had common sense bought good quality respirators. In my twenties I saw asbestos fibres in the hand lamp light and I mentioned that to an industrial doctor who knew a great deal about those deadly fibres. He said although getting out of the way of the 'cloud' was a good idea, he emphasised that it was the fibres you cannot see with the naked eye that need to be stopped from entering the airways and the fact that it is these fibres you cannot see are the deadly ones.

Now this virus is upon us I was probably one of the early thinkers in getting my twin respirator mask out and checking it to go shopping with. This quality and efficient silicone half mask has twin filters that is PP3 designation but I will admit that with 2 layers of sterilized gauze in front of both filters fine sprayed

with a solution of 1 to 1 TCP is hard on the breathing when walking because no mask is meant to be worn when doing anything that labors the breathing.

Those with any breathing restrictions have to be very careful even to choose to wear a mask or may even be prohibited to wear one.

There is an article in the NY Times on the internet by a doctor that is interesting to read. She contradicts the none wearing of masks that is proliferated by the Health hierarchy here in the UK. I agree with her writings from a logical and engineering point.

All the technical details regarding masks should have been concluded well before now and in no circumstances should false info be proliferated by any professional if it is a lie.

Any observer can see in the press and the telly that many wearers of masks are not wearing the mask by making sure it has an airtight seal around all the airways.......... This airtight seal is essential if the designated filtration percentage is to operate properly. There are respirators that are 97.6%

efficient but that filtration statement will be never achieved unless the mask is airtight to all of the skin around all the airways...... I firmly believe any mask is better than none but must be worn with all of the other sterilizing procedures to be added to the wearing of a mask.

[HelenC Partner TB Alert]

Hi Micklemus,

I am certainly watching the advice on this closely. It does appear that there are two schools of thought. One is that masks do prevent the spread of infection, particularly if worn by someone infected. The other is that masks may offer a false sense of security as they are often worn or handled incorrectly in ways that increase infection risk or encourage people to take unnecessary risks.

I'm afraid I'm not in a position to comment either way though I will make sure to update our guidance once the evidence on this becomes clear.

Best wishes,

Helen

[helixhelix]

Watching people in the street and in supermarkets wearing masks they are generally not using them properly. They are taking them on and off repeatedly, handling the outside of the mask, then touching their face, and leaving them tucked under their chin. So it seems to me that untrained people wearing masks outside a medical environment is really not doing much to protect them.

[Hidden in reply to helixhelix]

They should not be doing what they are doing but the government infinitely worse still

should not be lying so as to protect the stock of mask they have. The whole truth of the mask wearing saga should have been publicized from day one or even before day one.

It would have been well worth paying attention to the South Koreans who had the experience of the mers virus before this present epidemic.

Did you know that every single person was issued with a gas mask during the second world war? That was not done for fun but was based on scientific evidence and the fact that the government were fully intent on keeping people alive.

[Hidden]

The Association of Heating and Ventilation Engineers have far more experience of filtration than any one else. Their article on the internet quashes any ideas that filtration is not beneficial.

There is ample evidence that any mask is better than no mask at all and this should be obvious to anyone who stops and thinks carefully about the subject.

Any barrier that is shielding the airways may well catch any particle on it's fibres and there fore is better than that particle having a free passage to travel inside the airway.

Of course the better the filtration the better the protection. With that it is obvious or should be that all other sanitizing precautions must be carried out.

The advice that washing the hands is only part of the protective program.

How come the countries who have compulsory mask wearing in situ have the lowest death rate?