Face masks have become one of the most important accessories we need to have now that we're in the "new normal" due to the coronavirus pandemic, but how exactly could it help avoid COVID-19 transmission and how can you make the best DIY face masks at home?
Anti-Maskers are Not Happy
Unfortunately, not everyone agrees that face masks are essential. Some "anti-maskers" from Florida are making a move to try and ban the mandating of wearing face masks in public places.
The now-viral video from a Facebook page was posted on a subreddit called r/awfuleverything and has made its rounds all over the internet.
But despite their "movement" against face masks, it's highly unlikely that city and health leaders will stop mandating the wear of face masks, especially as it helps in preventing COVID-19 transmission.
These Anti-Maskers from Florida from r/awfuleverything
For those who still have doubts about the usefulness of face masks, a dramatic visualization shows why it's incredibly important nowadays.
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How COVID-19 Transmission Happens Without a Mask
In a report by Livescience, researchers from the Florida Atlantic University's College of Engineering and Computer Science created a simulation highlighting how a face mask helps in protecting COVID-19.
They simulated a cough using a mannequin head connected to a fog machine, which would create the vapor made from glycerin and water as well as visualize the vapor droplets with a "laser sheet" done by passing a green laser pointer through a cylindrical rod.
In this simulation, vapor droplets appear as a glowing green vapor.
Based on the simulation, vapor droplets, which could carry coronavirus, can travel up to 12 feet within only 50 seconds without a mask.
"The visuals used in our study can help convey to the general public the rationale behind social-distancing guidelines and recommendations for using face masks," said the lead author of the study, Siddhartha Verma, an assistant professor from the university.
The results are now published in the journal Physics of Fluids.
How Different Masks Work
To block these "coughs," the researchers then used certain types of homemade masks or the non-surgical masks that people could do at home if they couldn't find medical masks.
The team used different masks, including a single-layer bandana, a stitched mask with double layers of cotton fabric used for quilting, a non-sterile cone-style mask sold in pharmacies, and a loosely folded cotton handkerchief.
In the study, it has been discovered that the cotton mask was the best choice as it reduced the spread of the vapor the most, although it did have some leakage on top of the mask, right between the nose and the material.
Nevertheless, it was only able to travel 2.5 inches from the face.
With that, you can make a DIY mask at home with a cotton fabric that you use for quilting that has 70 threads per inch, as even a double layer could already prevent COVID-19 transmission.
Ensure that it has a snug fit to minimize the spread of vapors.
You'll also want to avoid bandanas and loosely folded cotton handkerchiefs as they don't do that much in keeping vapors from escaping for more than a foot to 3.5 feet.
Meanwhile, the cone-style masks that are available in pharmacies also do a great job as the vapor only traveled around eight inches from the face.
