General > General Technical Chat
Working From Home - Impacts of Coronavirus
tom66:
Another factor is viral dose.
For other viruses it is not generally sufficient to only get 1 or 2 viral particles to cause an infection. It is not known if SARS-CoV-2 is different, but it seems unlikely. You need to get a relatively moderate dose in order to enable the infection to spread. And, if you get a smaller dose, you are more likely to experience a milder illness. The theory here is that the virus has to spend longer in the body before it spreads to a more critical mass, by which time the immune system has time to fight it off. If you have a much larger dose, which has sadly happened to many healthcare workers without adequate PPE, then the virus hits you hard and fast, before your immune system has time to respond.
And this is where the mask helps - even if you are not completely shielded from the virus, it significantly reduces the chances of you getting a serious dose, and it also reduces asymptomatic spread.
WHO has a lot of questions to answer over why they advised against masks though.
james_s:
--- Quote from: tom66 on July 21, 2020, 09:19:50 pm ---WHO has a lot of questions to answer over why they advised against masks though.
--- End quote ---
I think that's obvious. It was not known at the time whether masks were going to be of much benefit to people on the street, but they did know that there was a struggle to get enough masks and other PPE for vital healthcare workers. If you can't get enough for healthcare workers then the last thing you want is people hoarding masks and wearing them around needlessly.
GeorgeOfTheJungle:
:-+
Zero999:
--- Quote from: Ed.Kloonk on July 21, 2020, 01:17:30 pm ---
--- Quote from: Zero999 on July 21, 2020, 01:14:19 pm ---
--- Quote from: Ed.Kloonk on July 21, 2020, 12:41:43 pm ---
--- Quote from: Zero999 on July 21, 2020, 12:36:15 pm ---
--- Quote from: dunkemhigh on July 21, 2020, 11:46:02 am ---
--- Quote ---should wear a visor, which provides more COVID-19 protection than a surgical mask
--- End quote ---
I noticed that many people wear these visors instead of masks, often at an angle such that it barely comes level with their chin, and wonder how on earth that's providing any protection for the wearer or whoever they are projectile-breathing at. Can you explain?
--- End quote ---
As with any form of protection, it needs to be approprately fitted and depends on the person using it properly.
Nothing is certain with CV19 and opinions vary considerably, but after Googling for a bit, the consensus seems to be: a visor appears to provide more protection for the user, than a mask, but isn't as effective at preventing the user spreading the virus. It helps to protect the wearer's eyes from virus-laden droplets and should also reduce spread to some degree by reducing the momentum of a cough or sneeze, but the bottom is still open, so some of it will fall onto objects below.
Ideally people should wear both a visor and a mask, but if someone can't wear the mask, then they should wear a visor. I would think a long visor, extending well below the chin and a scarf around the neck, to fill the gap, even if it doesn't cover the face, would also provide more protection to others, by stopping droplets from falling on surfaces below.
I think my motorcycle helmet will protect me more than a mask and should also do a decent job of preventing me spread it, as it's well-fitted and there's some fabrick under the chin. Lots of this seems to be common sense.
--- End quote ---
It all depends how you keep your hands away from these barriers.
--- End quote ---
A visor should do a better job of preventing someone from touching their face, than a mask, which will harbour the virus, when it becomes damp.
I'm not sure if that makes that much difference though. It's true, people touching their mouthes and noses helps spred the virus and was originally believed to be the main mode of transmission, but now droplets suspended in the air is thought to be more likely.
--- End quote ---
You touch the outside of the visor to lift it up. The first thing you do is rub yer nose. Bingo.
--- End quote ---
But that's not something one would do unconsciously. The visor will mean it takes more effort to touch ones face, so it would reduce the frequency them doing it.
--- Quote from: dunkemhigh on July 21, 2020, 05:35:29 pm ---
--- Quote ---It helps to protect the wearer's eyes from virus-laden droplets
--- End quote ---
That was my initial thought, and why medical professionals wear them, and why they are a useful additions to masks. But my puzzlement is where they are used on their own - airflow is just going to go around the sides.
--- End quote ---
But it will protect against a direct hit to the face, which is more important. Imagine someone squirting you in the face, with a water pistol. You'll get much more water in your eyes and mouth without a visor, than you would if you wore one.
--- Quote ---
--- Quote ---I think my motorcycle helmet will protect me more than a mask
--- End quote ---
Would it protect you from sawdust in a workshop? Briefly, I would suggest.
--- End quote ---
I'd suspect the helmet I have would provide quite a bit of protection against sawdust, for an extended period. It would certainly reduce the level of exposure.
--- Quote from: tom66 on July 21, 2020, 09:19:50 pm ---Another factor is viral dose.
For other viruses it is not generally sufficient to only get 1 or 2 viral particles to cause an infection. It is not known if SARS-CoV-2 is different, but it seems unlikely. You need to get a relatively moderate dose in order to enable the infection to spread. And, if you get a smaller dose, you are more likely to experience a milder illness. The theory here is that the virus has to spend longer in the body before it spreads to a more critical mass, by which time the immune system has time to fight it off. If you have a much larger dose, which has sadly happened to many healthcare workers without adequate PPE, then the virus hits you hard and fast, before your immune system has time to respond.
And this is where the mask helps - even if you are not completely shielded from the virus, it significantly reduces the chances of you getting a serious dose, and it also reduces asymptomatic spread.
WHO has a lot of questions to answer over why they advised against masks though.
--- End quote ---
Exactly. Getting infected isn't binary.
PlainName:
--- Quote from: GeorgeOfTheJungle on July 21, 2020, 10:27:38 pm ---<Anonymous YouTube link>
:-+
--- End quote ---
Neat! Took you about 10 seconds to post that, and in return you expect me (not to mention everyone else) to waste more than 5 minutes viewing it. But it's worth it because... well, why?
What is it about?
What point is he going to make?
Who the hell is he?
Why should his opinion on whatever it is be relevant or meaningful?
Assuming all the above are attention-grabbing, why do we have to waste 5 minutes watching a video to understand whatever it is he's wibbling on about instead of, say, you posting a 3-line precis we can cover in a few seconds. Oh, that's right, it would waste your time rather than ours.
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