Study Reveals Concerns About Masks With Valves Allowing Spread Of Virus
MASKS WITH VALVES – A recent study reveals some concerns about masks with valves being able to spread invisible droplets over a wide area when sneezing/coughing.
Due to complaints of not being able to breathe well enough, some people opt to buy KN95 masks with valves fitted to it. This could prevent the user from contracting diseases, however, researchers revealed that this design could still spread the virus.
Along with this, another concern is the use of Face Shields. Currently, due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, several cities and provinces made it mandatory to wear face shields aside from your face masks.
However, a report from ABS-CBN, in an article published by the US journal of Physics of Fluids, scientists from Florida Atlantic University used vertical and horizontal laser sheets to track tiny droplets of distilled water and glycerin as they spread from a hollow mannequin head fitted with a plastic face shield or a mask with a breathing valve on it.
Initially, the combination of the face mask and face shield blocked the passage of droplets as they were projected forward. However, the expelled droplets were found to move with relative ease. But, more concerning was the fact that despite the protection, it still spread over a large area.
Meanwhile, masks with valve fitted to assist with breathing were found to have a large number of droplets passing through the exhale valve unfiltered. This makes the design ineffective in stopping the spread of the new coronavirus if the person wearing is infected with the virus.
As such, the researchers urged that high-quality cloth or even generic medical masks with a plain design are highly preferred in preventing further infections.
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