Some of the scientifically unanswered questions that puzzles my mind are:
Is it scientific to assume that virus entry to the body can be restricted by wearing a mask, as if the virus is of a mosquito size? Does air not pass into you through the sideways of the face mask, otherwise what are you inhaling, or is it biologically allowed to inhale the carbon dioxide exhaled? Does air not invade your rooms or are you wearing a mask 24/7 at home? Is it scientific to block proper inhaling, that too in a pollution free atmosphere, as if your heart doesn’t need adequate oxygen? Why are a large number of masked doctors and health workers falling prey to the virus? If physical distancing can check the spread of the virus, then how much physical distance is to be maintained within family members during the home stay, as if the virus can travel to a limited distance? And if so, has someone exactly found the distance that they can travel? Does physical distancing mean virus germinate through physical friction, as if people follow the same rule at home, even in their conjugal relationship? What distance between the patients is prescribed or maintained in camps, schools, hospitals, railway trains, stadiums meant for their quarantined rehabilitation? Has it been followed by the lakhs of migrant workers walking down for 1000s of miles to reach their home safety? Do we have a proper justification for socially distancing ourselves from a healthy family as a next-door neighbor? Unlike the downtrodden, how come the V VIPs and Premiers, living with the best of hygienic conditions, are falling prey to the virus?
Dear Dr Moshara,
I would like to thank you for sharing with us your thoughts. Undoubtedly, further research is needed before mask wearing is adopted by healthy people. Furthermore, what 's the evidence on the effectiveness of cloth masks? Is the evidence strong enough for the obligatory adoption of face masks? And if face masks are obligatory and people have to pay in case that they do not wear a face mask, why the same practice is not adopted for the adoption of physical distance and avoidance of gathering? The obligatory adoption of face mask could be regarded by the public as a substitute for physical distancing. Undoubtedly, every effort should be made for the restriction of COVID-19 expansion. In addition, people should realize that changes in our everyday life are urgently needed. It is wrong to suppose that we can live as before, simple wearing a face mask in closed places. Structured education of the public on hygiene measures is urgently needed.
The evidence is that early in the development of the disease, many individuals are asymptomatic but infectious. Mask wearing is effective in minimising the spread from those individuals to the population. So the population principle is that known infectious people should quarantine and everyone else wear a mask.
A recent study shows that masking is the most effective way to prevent or control the infection of Corona virus. The study shows if some one who is sick and wears a mask, it blocks 90% of the virus when talking and 74% of the virus when cough. A healthy person with a face mask is the safest person to protect himself. Taiwan as a country with 24 million people have only seven deaths due to corona virus. This is mostly due to strict practice of masking along with tracing, testing and treating.
Thus universal mask use does work very well. Tushar Mishra
Adding to my originally asked unanswered/unattended questions, Itishree, can any one say how a person with running nose or constant sneeze or bad cough or sore throat continue to wear mask uninterruptedly? Even if I fully go by the study that you have quoted, is 10% unblocked virus when talking and 26% when cough not enough to spread the virus?
Mask type N-95 and maintained distance must be 6 feet and more.
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