Medical professionals wear surgical masks and there is strong evidence that this limits the spread of respiratory viral infections in hospitals. However, there is no clear evidence that surgical masks protect ordinary people from infection or transmission of this kind of infection. This is most likely due to their misuse. As for the fabric masks that are worn by a huge number of people, that picture looks even darker. In this article, you will learn about four potential consequences of using protective masks to watch out for.
Are face masks the best protection against infection?
Surgical masks are composed of several layers of non-woven plastic and can effectively filter very fine particles, such as the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19. Masks usually contain an outer waterproof layer and an inner absorbent layer. While masks made from scarves, T-shirts, or other fabrics may not provide the same level of protection and durability as surgical masks, they can block some of the large droplets and particles exhaled by the wearer, thus protecting others from viral exposure.
It is important to understand that the ability of masks to filter droplets depends on their design. For example, multilayer fabric masks filter better, but it is more difficult to breathe through them.
Yet the question is not so much whether cloth masks provide as good protection as surgical masks (which they do not), but whether there are serious unintended consequences of recommending their widespread use.
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Big four
As the authors of the article for The Conversation write, there are four potential consequences that, if not mitigated, could make things worse. Forewarned is forearmed.
Peltsman effect
The Pelzman effect suggests that the introduction of one safety measure, such as a car's seat belts, can lead to other risky behaviors, such as speeding. Cognitive bias, in which too many protective safety rules increase the risk of accidents due to a false sense of invulnerability, is named after University of Chicago professor Samuel Pelzman.
In the context of COVID-19, mask use has been shown to make people feel safer and thus minimize other effective protective behaviors such as social distancing and regular hand washing. While there is no clear evidence that this happens during a pandemic, several studies conducted before the outbreak of a deadly infection have shown that people actually wash their hands worse when wearing a mask.
Correct use of masks
For face masks to effectively protect you from infection, they must be used correctly, especially when in contact with other people. Most of the studies done so far - none of which have been conducted during the current pandemic - have explicitly looked at people's attitudes towards mask use. However, it is important to note that the more severe the disease progressed and the more susceptible people were to it, the more likely they were to be able to protect themselves during a pandemic. Given the large number of global infections and deaths around the world, people may exhibit higher-than-normal levels of mask-wearing adherence during a pandemic.
Masks are an additional source of infection
In addition to protecting against the entry of viral particles into the body, masks can act as alternative routes of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. To prevent this from happening, they must be properly put on and off. It is also important to remember that people touch their face on average 15-23 times per hour - for example, a mask that does not fit well on the face makes people touch their eyes, nose and mouth even more. As the authors of the article write, after touching the mask, there is a risk of getting the virus on the hands, and from them on other surfaces, such as doorknobs, railings or tables.
Environmental impact
A fourth, equally important concern of researchers is the results of a study by British scientists, according to which if the entire population of the UK begins to use disposable masks every day, it will cause 42,000 tons of potentially contaminated and non-recyclable plastic waste per year. Needless to say, the UK is far from the most populous country in the world. In addition, most people today notice a huge number of used and improperly disposed masks in public places, which poses an environmental and infectious danger. Therefore, it is preferable to use cloth masks rather than disposable masks.
As a reminder, national and international health authorities recommend the use of face masks where it is difficult to maintain social distance, such as on public transport. Well, we urge Hi-News.ru readers to wash their hands thoroughly, maintain social distance, do not touch the face, use cloth face masks, and also properly dispose of them after use.