Wearing a face mask is one of the best measures to control coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causing virus transmission. Like other viruses, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) causing COVID-19 is an inanimate infectious entity [1]. The viral particles float in the environment as droplets. Upon getting access to the human respiratory tract mainly through the mouth or nasal passage, infectious viral particle enters into the cells causing upper and lower respiratory tract infections with ultimate damage to the lungs. Wearing a mask is the way to stay safe from viral droplets in the environment, thus halting its access to the permissive cells. Furthermore, when a person is suffering from this acute coronavirus, by wearing the mask, you fulfill your social responsibility of protecting others. Wearing a proper mask halts the release of viral droplets in an individual’s immediate surroundings from infected individuals [2].
Best Darn Brands (BDB) was created to foster our mission of “
understanding the protection levels of masks is important for everyone. Sorting fact from fiction
supplying front-line heroes with
the necessary equipment to perform jobs that are critical to keeping the fabric of American society
safe, healthy & secure”. Taking pride in marketing FDA certified masks, BDB feels that
is only possible if the general public understand that a homemade or medical mask can only
provide a level of protection that is relatively low compared with single -use surgical masks and
N95 specialty masks [3] protection. Although, the N95 masks are, for the most part, earmarked
for healthcare workers, including clinical, paramedical, and allied health staff who are dealing with
COVID-19 daily, they are becoming available to the general public. Wearing a better quality clean
mask is recommended for everyone consciously protecting themselves and others from this deadly
virus. In certain countries, wearing a mask is mandatory. Of course, BDB is hopeful that everyone
is fulfilling their social responsibility of protecting others as well as staying safe themselves. All
this is possible only if everyone wearing a mask.
People tend to argue about empirical evidence related to the benefits of wearing masks for staying
safe from coronavirus infection. Scientific studies strongly suggest that surgical masks
significantly reduce shedding of viral particles by an infected person and could be considered as
the best public health practice for preventing transmission of coronaviruses [4]. Now the question
arises, should everyone be wearing a surgical mask? The best answer is YES. The SARS-CoV2,
the causative infectious particle, does not create disease conditions in everyone infected. Almost
30 -35 % of individuals stay asymptomatic. These individuals are mainly responsible for the
transmission of COVID-19 causing the virus to spread to many around them. Staying safe from
the current pandemic by wearing a mask needs to be considered our social new normal for
everyone.
References
- WHO, Naming the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus that causes it. https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical- guidance/naming-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that-causes-it, 2020.
- MacIntyre, C.R. and A.A. Chughtai, Facemasks for the prevention of infection in healthcare and community settings. BMJ, 2015. 350: p. h694. https://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h694
- Azap, A. and F.S. Erdinc, Medical mask or N95 respirator: When and how to use? Turk J Med Sci, 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32336079/
- Leung, N.H.L., et al., Respiratory virus shedding in exhaled breath and efficacy of face masks. Nat Med, 2020. 26(5): p. 676-680. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0843-2
