Coughs and sneezes that glow in the dark? In the coronavirus era, this is what scientists need to determine which masks work best to prevent spray drops from spreading after coughing or sneezing.
The researchers at Florida Atlantic University turned to laser light and glycerin to demonstrate the best type of homemade cloth masks that people can use to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to the UPI.
For people who have put on a scarf, they have bad news. But first, some details on how the experiment worked.
Scientists were looking to determine the distance at which droplets can move with fabric-based coatings used to clog those droplets, and the study was published Tuesday in the journal Physics of Fluids. “Such masks have been recommended for public use by various agencies, but there are no clear guidelines on the best construction material or technique to use,” Siddhartha Verma, lead author and assistant professor at Florida Atlantic, told UPI.
The researchers sprayed a solution of distilled water and glycerin through a mannequin’s mouth to create glow-in-the-dark droplets similar to those produced by coughing or sneezing, UPI reported. Earlier this year, an aerosol expert explained to AccuWeather how aerosol droplets move through the air. As an easy way to visualize, he advised imagining how secondhand smoke behaves in different air currents to get an idea of how the droplets move through the air.
Amid all the recent commotion about wearing masks, the scientists’ findings are revealing, to say the least. The study results were also captured on video, which paints a compelling picture of what wearing a mask can do to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The footage of what happens when someone coughs or sneezes without wearing a mask is equally compelling.
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(a) A face mask constructed from a folded scarf. Images were taken at (b) 0.5 seconds, (c) 2.27 seconds, and (d) 5.55 seconds after the start of a simulated cough. (Florida Atlantic University College of Engineering and Computer Science) |
“Without a mask, the drops traveled more than 8 feet,” the researchers reported. In some cases, they traveled further. Here is a look at how some of the other mask types performed in the experiment.
• Bad news for scarf users: With a handkerchief, the drops went through the fabric and traveled 3 feet, 7 inches. It is still worth noting that this is much more effective than not wearing a mask.
• Take the scarf out of your pocket and cover your face: With a folded cotton scarf, the drops traveled 1 foot, 3 inches.
• And the winner is: Cotton padding! According to the scientists’ findings, a sewn quilted cotton mask proved to be more effective since the drops only traveled 2.5 inches through the material. According to the video, this appeared to work even better than what the researchers described as a “professional-grade face mask,” which allowed the drops to travel approximately 8 inches.
With beach closings and some state and local governments reversing reopens, and in many cases making masks mandatory in public outdoor locations, masking in warm weather may seem like an unattractive idea. But there are a few tips people can follow to wear masks while staying cool in the summer heat. Watch the full video of the experiment from researchers at Florida Atlantic University below.
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