Do Masks Stop Tiny Particles?

I read an article the other day with the following video linked to it. It's about a three minute video.



Obviously, masks don't do much to stop very tiny particles. Viruses, vapor, smoke, and even dust particles from sheet rock easily go through masks.



I thought this photo would be helpful in showing size differences. A micrometer is 1000 times larger than a nanometer. Therefore the bacterium shown is 2000 nm. The SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus which causes COVID-19) is around 100 nm or .1 µm. So on this graphic novel coronavirus would be between Zika and HIV in terms of size.

"Upon analysis of negative-stained SARS-CoV-2 articles by electron microscopy, researchers have determined the diameter of this virus to range between 60 nanometers (nm) to a maximum diameter of 140 nanometers (nm)." 1

Comparing the size of the novel coronavirus to something we are all familiar with, human hair, we see that the virus is anywhere from 400 to 1000 times smaller.

"A human hair has a thickness that is typically in the size range of 60 to 120 µm... The size of a single human hair is comparable to the size of as little as 400 SARS-CoV-2 particles to as many as 1,000 particles." 1

There is no way to experiment on the effectiveness of masks regarding SARS-CoV-2 using typical microbiology experiments using agar and incubation. Those are great for showing the spread of bacteria which is huge compared to viruses.  And I have no doubt that masks do help stop the spread of bacteria.  But viruses are too small to see even with the most powerful light microscope.  They can only be seen with an electron microscope.

Therefore it's only logical to me that if the mask won't stop water vapor, smoke or even fine dust particles, it certainly won't stop a virus.

If you've noticed, mask mandates are everywhere, yet the virus continues to infect people.

As I've said before, the only way to stop a viral pandemic is by letting it run its course and achieving herd immunity.  Or through effective vaccination which will also create herd immunity.

It's quite simple.

Like President Trump said, don't be afraid of COVID.  Its mortality rate is akin to a bad flu year.  Yes, some people will die.  But that's part of life.  Even in the last few months therapeutic treatment has advanced and fewer people are dying from COVID-19.  There's no reason for normal, healthy people to be walking around with masks on their face everywhere they go.  Masks belong on people in hospitals not in Wal-Mart.

That's my two cents.


References:

1 --https://www.news-medical.net/health/The-Size-of-SARS-CoV-2-Compared-to-Other-Things.aspx