Are the protective masks people are wearing really effective at preventing the spread of swine flu?
Please…stop the mis-information. The highly technical measurements of virus size have no relevance. Very un-scientific when you take a second and think about it. They don’t have legs or wings. They must be carried. Wearing masks is nothing new to preventing spread of an infection. If used 100% of the time during potential infection, a mask can be effective at blocking airborne water droplets emitted from a cough or a sneeze. Problem is, people are lazy, forgetful, self-conscious…and don’t wear the masks all the time. If you’re in doubt, consider that the US FDA has issued several EUA (emergency use authorization) in the past few days. Among them is one for N95 – NIOSH approved particulate filter masks. The use of N95 filters is authorized for use by the general public to reduce risk of infection by swine influenza. The FDA had specific information on consumer (non-surgical) N95 respirator use during emergencies since 2007. The CDC had guidelines since 2005. The current EAU for N95
