I’ve noticed more people wearing masks, especially at airports. Should I buy one, too?
Go to the airport and they instantly stand out.
You know the type — the ones who heard about an airborne virus and instantly cleaned out their local drug store’s mask supply. Well, turns out those rash purchases were in vain.
Despite the rising number of coronavirus cases in the United States, healthy people still have no need to wear masks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, the most common type — surgical masks — don’t provide as much protection as people think.
“They’re recommended for use if somebody is sick,” said Dr. Mary Jo Trepka, an epidemiology professor at Florida International University. “... if somebody whose sick or has symptoms coughs, [the masks] will catch a lot of the particles and they’ll prevent somebody from coughing all over surfaces.”
That’s not the only reason why they’re ineffective.
“They tend to be uncomfortable and people will itch their face a little bit more ... so it kind of defeats the purpose,” Trepka continued, referencing the CDC’s directive to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
But don’t just take Trepka’s word for it. Even the CDC states a surgical mask “does NOT provide the wearer with a reliable level of protection from inhaling smaller airborne particles.”
N95 masks, however, are a bit different. Although they’re designed to filter out 95 percent of all airborne particles, experts say it’s nearly impossible to keep your face covered all the time.
“I know that I can wear them when I need to for about a half-hour,” Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, told Live Science. “But then, I have to go out of the isolation room, take it off and take some deep breaths, kind of cool off, before I can go back in.”
“You have to work to breathe in and out,” he continued. “It’s a bit claustrophobic.”
Trepka also delved into the whole fit test part of N95 masks, which requires they be sealed tightly and meticulously examined to ensure their viability. She later echoed Schaffner’s last point.
N95 masks are “not good for anybody who has health issues because they’re hard to breath through,” Trepka added.
Aside from their complexity, there’s also the responsibility aspect. N95 masks have flown off the shelves in the past few months, so much so that the healthcare professionals who need them can’t even get any. Even Trepka mentioned that she had just spoken with someone at a health clinic in that same predicament.
“We need to reserve those N95 masks for the healthcare workers,” Trepka said. “It’s a waste to have other people using them.”
There’s no denying that masks supply a sense of security. With all the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus, people will continue seeking ways to feel safe. That’s understandable but just know this: Unless you’re sick and don’t want to infect others, masks aren’t more beneficial than washing your hands.
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 4:29 PM.
