How the opal and valve mask of the infection fails to prevent the infectious spot, as shown by the laser


Using lasers, engineers at the University of Florida Atlantic were able to visualize what happens to aerated particles when exhaled through a N95 mask with a face shield (left) or an exhaust valve (right).

Using lasers, engineers at the University of Florida Atlantic were able to visualize what happens to aerated particles when exhaled through a N95 mask with a face shield (left) or an exhaust valve (right).
Photo: Florida Atlantic University College of Engineering and Computer Science

A new study of lasers suggests that face valves and masks equipped with exhaust valves are not the best at protecting others from small respiratory drops, especially those containing infectious germs such as corovirus, which causes covid-19. These aerosols can spread around and around these types of facial devices, the study found, undermining their chances of preventing users from spreading the infection to others.

Wearing masks has been accepted by public health experts as one Most effective Ways to reduce the chances of giving Covid-19 to someone else. To some extent, masks also reduce the risk of wearers catching coronavirus from others. And the U.S. in particular. In, despite the noisy contingencies of atheists, there are most people in the countries of the world Convenient They wear masks in situations where they are around people outside their home.

But there are many different types of facial inks that have become popular. Typically there are two plastic face shields and an N95-respirator mask that comes with an exhaust valve. The N95 respirator filters out the inhaled air, significantly reducing the likelihood of catching a respiratory infection, while the valve is intended to facilitate breathing. The shield is less cumbersome for the user to breathe, but has large gaps at the bottom and sides, which, presumably, allow germs to enter and exit fairly easily. Medical professionals usually wear facial ieldals in addition to masks and other protective devices, a way to prevent sneezing or nausea from swimming in a patient’s eyes and other parts of their face.

In this new study, Published In the Journal of Physics on Tuesday, both facial ield and valve masks were shown to be very poor in preventing the flow of aerosols.

Engineers at the University of Florida Atlantic created a kind of light show to visualize what happens to our exhalation while using these coverings. They applied the area around the man’s mouth with a lancer, dressed the dummy with either an exhaust-valve mask or a facial ield, then poured a mixture of water and glycerin through his mouth, creating an artificial fog with the same consistency of Rosol drops. Coughing and sneezing are excreted by the person. In the dark, lasers could illuminate the path of these droplets vigorously as they leave the mouth of the puncture.

The results were plain to see. The face fades the initial frontal eruption from the Ildal mouth, but the aerated particles were then easily dispersed to the sides and still behind the Theal in high concentrations. Although the concentration of the dots, with plenty of mouths they burned out, will probably still cover a lot of ground before it evaporates in the right conditions like the interior spaces with little air flow. Exhaust-valve N95 masks were less effective in blocking the forward movement of droplets, the valves serving as a simple escape hatch.

The team also tested several brands of surgical and N95 masks. Although these masks were not ineffective in blocking aerosols either, some masks performed worse than others, they were generally more effective in limiting the concentration of aerosols anywhere than the valve or valve masks.

The authors wrote, “Overall, the scenes presented here show that facial facial and exhaled valve masks may not be as effective as regular face masks in controlling the spread of aerated particles.” “Thus, despite the increased comfort that these options offer, it is more appropriate to use a well-constructed plain mask.”

Lab experiments are not perfect real-world simulations, of course, so it is possible that these conditions are not doing a great job of stimulating how aerosols filled with coronavirus will actually travel through someone’s mouth while wearing a stimulus or exhaust-valve mask. . But there it is Other research Indicates that the shield does not provide as much protection against infection as a more conventional mask, while experts say Long warned That exhaust valve masks are defeating the primary purpose of why people should widely adopt wearing masks (since a person can become infected and contagious without feeling sick, so it is better for everyone to wear a mask).

Disability advocates have Noticed For people whose health problems make it difficult to wear a mask, a face mask may be the best option. And ield May Risk of forward cutting transmission when attached to the mask. But for the rest of us, it seems that sticking to the mask without cutting a hole in them is really the best and easiest way to stop the spread of the disease.

Indeed, the authors warn that the widespread adoption of these more comfortable options could “adversely affect ongoing mitigation efforts against COVID-19.”

This article has been updated to note that researchers have also tested standard surgical and N95 masks, which were generally found to be more effective in blocking aerosolized droplets.

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