To mask or not to mask, that is the question

So all the way through this corona-virus pandemic there has been lots, of guidance, consipracy and mis-information about wearing face masks.

As a veteran who served in the British Army and as a motor vehicle and paint and body tutor and assessor, i have spent over 2 decades training in the Control Of Substances that are Hazardous to Health (COSHH). [1]

In the Army you are trained to fight in all conditions including fighting on battlefields where you are exposed to the threat of NBC (Nucleat, Chemical and biological warfare) this was the tagged used in 1990s.

Moden recurits undertake CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radioactive and Nuclear) as the Threat has shifted putting the likelihood of a chemical, biological attack above that of all out nuclear war.[2]

As a motor vehicle, paint and body tutor and assessor I have trained hundreds of young people to city and guild and IMI standards. In health and safety, COSHH, dealing spray spaints, areosols, dust particles, filteration and personal protective equipment.

Based on the facts i will tell you that masks people are wearing, including homemade, dust masks, FFP2 surgical mask will not protect you from being infected by corona virus and here is the reason why.

Firstly Corona virus in particular Middle Eastern Respiratory syndrome- coronavirus has been recognised as a Hazard Group 3 bio-hazard since 2013 by the UK Health and Safety exe. [1] [2]

MERs-Cov is a killer and its 37.5% mortality rate is the highest of any Corona-virus, it has been affective across the globe since 2012 and outbreaks and cases hit the UK in 2013. [3]

MERs-Cov has a nearly identical genetic make up and genome sequence to this apparantly new covid. [4]

They are both Envoloped RNA single strand virus one has a 29.1 kb genome sequence the other is 30.1kb. The both inhibit the DPP4 receptors, have identical proteins. [4]

To the point the new swab test does not test form MERs-COV and Covid 19 it just test for SARs-COV-2 the underlying virus to both diseases. [4]

Further screening criteria is then done and if you are suspected of having MERs-Cov additional samples are taken and sent for lab testing. [5]

So here is the fact behind filteration, respirators and mask. Unless a pathogen or chemical is corrosive then what masks you wear will depend on the size of its particles and the surface life of the substance.

To give you an idea

Anthrax which is a Harzard Group 4, which means if you are exposed it will cause serious harm and or death. Is a tubular shape and the particle size is 1. 1.5.

When dealing with Anthrax it is recommended to wear full enclosed chemical suits with are fed masks or respirators.

Ebola for example is also a HG4 and if like me you watched the news you would have seen the level of protection needed and the strict decontaimation processes envolved.

So lets look at Corona-virus they tend to be circular in shape and have a particle size of 0.125 to 0.8 and since 2013 have been classified as a Hazard group 3. [6]

This means in lines with Health and safety guidence, ACDPH guidance, World health organisation guidance, Public health guidance you are in the case of a suspected outbreak you would need to wear a mask with no lower level of FFP3 protection with fileration, you would need to keep your skin covered, wear suitable eye protection that also covered your nose and suitable gloves.

Should you come into contact with a HG3 pathogen then you would need to dispose of the dispose of the worn PPE and decontaminate after exposure.

So what does this mean firstly with the current control measures in place this should be a trigger that all of us has to wear suitable PPE to deal with a HG3 biohazard. Unless we know that everyone we come into contact with is free from infection.

Secondly the recommendations so far made ranging from a simple face covering, scarf or spit guard will protect you is in-correct.

On top of this you also need to understand that corona-virus is spread through infected human droplets such as silivia, sweat, urine, excriment.

Now science is already telling us that corona virus is airbourne and stays on some surfaces for days.

So this being the case then the following if you are not wearing a mask that has a filter system that can block and remove particules that are smaller than 0.8 microns it will not stop Corona-virus.

This means if you are infected every time you cough, spit and breath the virus will escape through the mask.

If you are next to an infected person you will inhale infected paricules.

Also if you havent got the correct skin or eye protection you will come into contact with inflection particle and get infected.

If you are indoors especially in a none filtered, poorly maintained, un serviced area that has aircon you can have differences in pressures. This means instead of blocking particles all you do is circulate them and keep them inside the building. But instead of just breathing in air particules they can become pressurised and areosol and are therefore forced through masks.

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