Masks
2 things you can't not know during the pandemic
It is rather useless to repeat the importance of covering nose and mouth if we are talking about a virus that spreads not only by coughing and sneezing, but also by simply breathing and talking.
What are 2 things to pay attention to in order to protect yourself from the virus?
1, Aerosol
I virus, per essere trasmessi da una persona all’altra, devono essere veicolati da goccioline di saliva che vengono emesse mentre di respira o si parla. These droplets have different sizes, but always very small, on the order of micrometers (μm, one micrometer = 10^-6 or one thousandth of a millimeter). The largest droplets, those with a diameter of a few tens of μm, fall quickly because the force of gravity, usually does not go beyond a radius of about one meter, one meter and a half; the lighter ones, however, can float in the air and even be transported to greater distances, and in the case that these remain suspended in the air for a long time, we can call them aerosols. Aerosols can be present in closed places even when the emitter has left the environment. How can we avoid the emission or deflect aerosol trends? The answer is most simple: wear a protective mask.
(To learn the details, read this article: https://www.fayyia.com/blogs/mascherine/servono-davvero-le-mascherine-chirurgiche-a-diminuire-la-quantita-di-virus-nelle-goccioline-di-saliva)
2, classification of protective masks
The protective masks are 3:
1, surgical masks
2, FFP2
3, FFP3
The masks FFP2 e FFP3 are classified as personal protective equipment (PPE) with or without filter respirator, which serve to protect health workers directly involved in the care of a patient certainly or probably infected with SARS-CoV-2: they filter all droplets, even aerosols. But it is necessary to take into account the FFP2 and FFP3 masks with valve, The latter, in fact, filters the air inhaled by the mask wearer but does not filter the air that the latter exhales. In other words, these masks with the valve, only protects who wears them, however does not protect your neighbor. Therefore, we can not wear masks with valves in public areas, because they are not valid to interrupt the emmission or divert the course of aerosols, which may contain the virus.
The surgical masks, the light ones in non-woven fabric, are classified as medical devices, and are used precisely by the surgeon to keep the operating field sterile; they have a very limited protection for the wearer, but serve to prevent the emission of potentially infectious aerosols to the external environment.
Conclusion
For the purpose of protecting oneself and others, it is highly recommended to wear FFP2 or FFP3 masks without the valve, but these can bother the wearer in breathing; therefore it is recommended to simply wear surgical masks, which are more transparent than FFP2 and FFP3 masks without the valve. As for the masks with the valve, it is better to throw them in the trash since they could cause the transmission of the virus, although they are the most breathable of all the protective masks.
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