Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Why you should upgrade your mask as the Omicron variant spreads
Hundreds of thousands of people have been infected daily in countries like the US, France, and Spain by the Omicron variant. Since Omicron has been spreading around the world much faster than any other known variant, it is time to be reminded of the importance and necessity of wearing masks. Unlike influenza, which could spread by droplets, inhale, or surfaces, the primary driver of coronavirus infection is shared air. That’s why the function of masks plays an important role to prevent infections. For example, if you’re wearing a mask that is 90% efficient like N95, it could take 10 times longer before you get infected than not wearing any. However, many people, especially those who are in non-mask-wearing cultures, choose to wear cloth masks for an appearance’s sake. Unfortunately, they are far less effective than professional, surgical, or disposable masks when it comes to preventing virus infections even though they work much better than not wearing any. Also, the longer you stay in a closed environment, the higher the chance you get infected. Proper mask-wearing and air ventilation seem to be more essential to cope with the highly contagious coronavirus variant.
Enjoy reading the article and learning about what masks do to protect you from the virus.
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/24/health/cloth-mask-omicron-variant-wellness/index.html
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