Quote:
Originally Posted by BigV
… 3 -- Wear a mask or a bandanna to help you become aware of your hands moving to your face. It does not need to be a medical mask. The mask will not prevent the disease, it helps you stop carrying the disease from your hands to your face.
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This needs clarification:
Bandanas and non-medical masks won't prevent the disease. Medical masks like the N95 most certainly can prevent airborne transmission to the respiratory route of infection. That's why healthcare workers wear them. Droplets from a close proximity cough or sneeze are quite hazardous; but, healthcare workers can't always avoid them even though droplets settle out of the air within a few seconds. The probability of non-healthcare workers being coughed or sneezed on by infectious contacts is lower; but, that doesn't change the efficacy of wearing medical masks if it happens.
In addition to droplets, aerosolized viruses that can hang in the air for extended periods can be stopped by wearing medical masks. The risk there; however, is thought to be low in any setting.
Even with medical masks, disease prevention is only as effective as one's proficiency with all of the recommended infection control techniques combined. It is for this reason that most non-healthcare people will not benefit significantly from having medical masks.
I used to teach aseptic technique and grade students on their application of it. It's amazing how many ways there are to break asepsis and cross contaminate things in the work area without ever realizing that you've done it. I've had students swear on a stack of bibles that breaches I told them I had observed while grading them never happened. They actually believed it; but, I video-recorded their procedures and ol' one eye don't lie.
The key is to not get discouraged and continue improving. The goal is to bring everyone up to a level of infection control proficiency that makes it worthwhile for them all to use medical masks. It looks like the pandemic is going to give everyone ample time to do that and perhaps there will be an ample supply by the time everyone is capable of making good use of it.