[ad_1]
Although people increasingly use clear plastic face masks with valves to protect themselves against the Corona virus, which has infected millions of people around the world, confusion about its effectiveness is returning again.
A recent simulation revealed that only plastic face shields are completely ineffective at trapping respiratory aerosols against Covid 19 infection, based on the Japanese model.
Simulations using Fugaku, the world’s fastest supercomputer, found that nearly 100% of airborne droplets less than 5 micrometers in size leaked through the plastic masks worn by service workers (one micrometer equals one in a millionth of a meter)).
About half of the largest 50 micrometers have also found their way into the air, according to the Japanese research institute Riken in the western city of Kobe.
Plastic Face Masks – Expressive
Makoto Tsubukura, team leader at the Riken Center, said the simulation combined airflow and multiplication of tens of thousands of droplets of various sizes, from less than 1 micrometer to several hundred micrometers, and cautioned against using plastic face masks as an alternative to normal cloth masks.
He also told the British newspaper “The Guardian”: “Judging by the results of the simulation, unfortunately the effectiveness of the face shield in preventing the drops from spreading from the mouth of the infected person is limited compared to normal masks.”
Expressivebut in a condition
“This is especially true for small droplets less than 20 microns in size,” he continued, adding that all the much smaller aerosol particles exited through the space between the face and the shield, noting that “it could work as well. somehow for droplets larger than 50 microns. ” “.
Tsubukura suggested that people with basic respiratory problems and young children wear face shields, but only while outdoors or indoors that are well and adequately ventilated.
Nonwoven muzzle – expressiveThis is the most effective type
The Fugaku computer, which can perform more than 415 trillion calculations per second, found that face masks made from non-woven (surgical) fabric are more effective in preventing the spread of Covid 19 through airborne droplets than those made from cotton and polyester.
The 130 billion yen (£ 970 million) supercomputer also ran simulations of how respiratory droplets spread in divided office spaces and on crowded trains when car windows are open.
Social distancing, washing hands and wearing a mask remains one of the most internationally agreed factors in the face of the fierce virus that has infected more than 31 people worldwide and killed nearly 962,000 since the virus appeared in Wuhan, in eastern China at the end of 2019.
[ad_2]
