99.99% of the research out there is attempting to prove why wearing a mask works or why it helps to lower the community spread. The mask is to both protect others and yourself from spreading or becoming infected, respectively. If a person's test becomes positive, does the mask keep more virus while shedding within the lungs, increasing more infected lung tissue by not expelling free virus into the environment? In other words, does the mask act like a cork in a wine bottle? Thus, causing more compromised alveoli cells, increasing the cytokine storm damage, increasing hypoxia due to massive assembly, replication, and shedding of virus merely by the simple mask?
^^^ The recent SARS COV2 Delta variant in the US has an important consequence that could potentially be causing adverse complications due to the mask-wearing post-positive test confirming infection. Primarily from its known 1000% increase in shedding of the virus. As soon as these patients know they are positive, an augmentation of protecting others while decreasing the use of the mask should be considered, in my opinion.
@maurro how do we mitigate this problem. Imagine a large majority of acute infected SARS COV2 patients that are being masked or even mechanically vented with a high positive end expiratory pressure and O2 forcing freshly shedded virus right back into lung tissue and actually perpetuating the virus life cycle?
We need to change the strategy for Acute SARS COV2 infection in regards to masking. In my opinion, more innovative uses of UV light devices to inactivate virus. SARS COV2 is exceptionally susceptible to UV light across all spectrums,(Heßling, 2020) I had a previous idea of using UV LED diodes within the intubation tube in severe cases. AYTU Bioscience also had this idea in mind in September 2020 and is in clinical trials at Mt Sinai Medical Center, (AYTU, 2020). However, more devices can potentially help such as:
1. A special mask that has UV diodes to inactivates the virus during blow-off exhales.
2. A tent intubation ventilator system with incorporated UV diodes for blow off exhales/
3. Nasal cannula O2 with intranasal UV diodes that flash pulse the inner nasal passages where ACE2 expression for SARS COV2 spike is high.
4. A level 4 hot zone Biosuite head unit, space suite helmet type, or modified motorcycle helmet that incorporates UV diodes within the inside and away from the face and eyes.
References:
Aytu BioScience Announces Manufacture and Delivery of Healight(TM) Devices for Use in COVID-19 Clinical Study (yahoo.com)
Heßling, M., Hönes, K., Vatter, P., & Lingenfelder, C. (2020). Ultraviolet irradiation doses for coronavirus inactivation - review and analysis of coronavirus photoinactivation studies. GMS hygiene and infection control, 15, Doc08. https://doi.org/10.3205/dgkh000343
How can we push this issue to get the research started or how can we influence the CDC, NIH, and other pertinent entities to at least be aware of this potential problem that needs to be at least addressed to challenge current guidance? In other words, who can we turn to that will take this serious? An email? A medical news investigator anchor?
I am still hoping for more opinions on this topic especially now that there are several mutation strains that are thriving.
Not only mask, we have to develop one more practice to wear gloves every day outside of the house...
I still cannot believe no one wants to address this as simple mitigation that could potentially save lives and especially during the first 10 days of acute infection.
I am really serious about this and I wish it could get more attention... Hassan Izzeddin Sarsak
Thank you for the comment.
Again now that the variant causes 1000 more times shedding, we need to realize that masking after infection is going to cause problems.
I edited this post in order to reflect the issues surrounding the Delta Variant of SARS COV2 and its increased viral shedding potential.
After three years of writing this post, I have evidence of what I was concerned with mask use. The problem is that there are no other references because everyone is only concerned with the spread of COVID-19, not the death caused by the rebreathing virus in both masks and mechanical ventilation. it is not a far stretch to think we caused unnecessary increased illness to patients who sat in the emergency department wearing a mask while waiting to be seen for example. This has to be put into the public instead of hiding this information.
Reference
https://necsi.edu/dont-rebreath-the-coronavirus-new-mask-designs
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