Anons please see if your page gets blurred out as well
pic unrelated
the website Quora is blocking information on the masks being useless in efficiency for the prevention of the spread of coronavirus:
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-wearing-face-masks-is-useless-in-preventing-the-contraction-of-the-COVID-19-virus-because-the-virus-is-smaller-than-the-filter-in-the-mask
when you go to the page, it will be blurred over.
I managed to copy the main answer that has over 25,000 upvotes and gives a reason why it is useless:
Gene Rosales
, Nurse RN BSN CCRN
Updated March 18, 2020 · Upvoted by
Liang-Hai Sie
, Retired general internist, former intensive care physician. · Author has 146 answers and 1.4M answer views
Originally Answered: Is it true that wearing face masks is useless in preventing the contraction of the Wuhan flu virus because the virus is smaller than the filter in the mask?
This is a surgical mask:
This is a N95:
Surgical mask is designed for larger particulate matter, its is worn in the OR to contain what we may be carrying onto the patient during surgery, in the hospital we give it to patients who are coughing to prevent the particulates from the patient to circulate in the immediate area.
Like you mentioned the COVID-19 virus is much smaller (0.125 microns)and one of the few mask that's approved for use is the “N95 healthcare particulate respirator and surgical mask”. The average human hair diameter is 75 microns. Now can you imagine how small the COVID-19 virus is?
“The ‘N95’ designation means that when subjected to careful testing, the respirator blocks at least 95 percent of very small (0.3 micron) test particles. If properly fitted” Per the FDA. Link below.
In the healthcare setting we are “fit tested" annually and instructed how to use it i.e select the right size, how to put it on, fit it to make sure there is no leak and how to remove it properly. Personally I can keep it on for no more than 20 minutes at a time. It gets hot and wet in the confines of the mask and since it's very thick it's hard to breathe in it.
Now this mask respirator SA100 PSK( we baptized it as the white Darth Vader mask)is the one we are provided in the ER as a better alternative when working on a contagious pathogen where a patient is isolated and placed on a negative air flow room. We can keep it on indefinitely its powered by a battery pack.
Question
Is it true that wearing face masks is useless in preventing the contraction of the COVID-19 virus because the virus is smaller than the filter in the mask?
Short answer:
Yes
Edit 1.3
Here is a CDC link that will expound so much more for those who want technical info but geared for a lay person, it's thoroughly informative others may find it boring.
2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
Edit 1.4
Forgot to mention, Images were cut and pasted from Google and 3M website.
Edit 2.0 Over 25k views, upvotes even from technical people I am deeply humbled, honored and realized how lacking my answer was. This edit now attempts to put a little more technical facts. As a nurse I find that majority of the patients I encounter needed the most simple explanation I can provide to help them understand the care process. And personally I try to keep as simple and short as possible, unfortunately this has became too long.
Masks and N95 Respirators