Biden, who calls wearing masks a “patriotic act”, signed an executive order on Wednesday – his first as president – asking Americans to wear masks of their choice during the first 100 days of the new government. The executive order also requires the use of a mask on all federal properties, although in this case it is not sufficient for any old mask.
On the Wednesday after the inauguration, White House press secretary Jen Psaki showed off her shiny white N95 mask in the press conference room. “I used it, of course, here today and will continue to do so,” said Psaki after removing his medical-grade mask and before moving on to the questions.
N95 masks are considered the gold standard in personal protective equipment because they block 95% of large and small particles, using a unique electrostatic filter.
The filter works by capturing neutral particles such as bacteria and viruses before they pass through the mask, protecting the user and the people around them. It is similar to how socks can stick to a blanket in the dryer. The N95 mask, which costs about $ 5, also fits securely on the face, eliminating most of the leakage that can occur with a wide cloth or paper mask.
Studies have shown that masks significantly decrease the chances of transmitting or contracting the coronavirus. But not all masks offer equal protection. Depending on the fabric and the number of layers, simple and homemade fabric masks have a range of effectiveness that can be as low as 26%, which leaves the user vulnerable.
Some experts, like Brigham Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School doctor Dr. Abraar Karan, have advocated the public use of N95 masks since the beginning of the pandemic. In an interview with CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dr. Karan described why N95s are critical at this stage of the pandemic.
“If for four weeks the country basically wore these masks in these risky environments like those indoors, what kind of difference do you think it would make?” Gupta asked.
“It would stop the epidemic,” replied Karan.
The quality of protection that a face mask can provide is crucial. A respiratory disease like the coronavirus is transmitted by aerosols, tiny particles that float and are suspended in the air. Some virus-carrying particles are small enough to travel through or around lower quality masks, making the user vulnerable to inhaling viral particles.
“We now know that aerosols spread best when there is little ventilation, crowding and close contact that is prolonged,” Karan told Gupta in an interview. “So we were arguing that, in fact, in these environments, fabric masks alone would not block aerosols.”
Karan is not the only expert to defend better quality masks for the general public. Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb wrote in an article in the Wall Street Journal that “encouraging Americans to wear high quality masks is a simple step that can make a difference”.
The biggest problem is the lack of supply. This week marked an entire year of coronavirus, and the Biden administration pledged to invoke the Defense Production Act more often to increase the manufacture of N95 masks and other essential supplies. Experts hope that the manufacturing will reach a speed that is capable of sufficiently supplying the population.
“A well-adjusted N95 is clearly the best you can do,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN on Friday. “You could get the production out of it at a much higher rate now.”
Karan believes that N95 masks can be an essential resource in the reopening of the economy, since the launch of the vaccine remains slow and the fatigue of the quarantine increases.
“If we have better personal protection for people, they can return to work more safely. They can reconnect more safely, especially if testing and tracking are not where we need them, ”said Karan.
“That would be a way to get people back and get the economy going again.”
Some European countries are already taking this step to prevent the spread of the coronavirus within their borders. Earlier this week, Germany and France mandated that all citizens wear high-filtration masks, such as the N95, in all public places.
After months of treating patients with coronavirus, Karan says it’s time to invest to make sure the masks that people wear are even more effective. “Focus on getting better masks for as many people as possible, focus on the messages around the masks, be consistent with your messages, make masks part of American culture to stop the epidemic.”
The key here is to always wear a mask whenever you are in public. A Lancet Digital Health study found that a 10% increase in mask use could lead to a three-fold increase in the chances of maintaining control over the transmission of the virus in a community. The ability to control the spread of the coronavirus is in our hands … and in our faces.