Face masking up to the future
Up until the beginning of 2020, it was quite unusual to see face masks outside of the operating rooms in a hospital — in Western countries, at least. You might see the odd commuter wearing one on the train or around busy city streets during the peak of flu season, but sightings were a rarity. Until the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
By March 2020, shelves were cleared of medical masks (along with almost every non-perishable food source), healthcare workers were reusing disposable masks for fear of running out, and the USA was experiencing a shortage of medical and N95 masks due to global demand. Hospital and research facilities worldwide reported bulk theft of medical masks. They were the latest health essential, and it wasn’t long before they became a fashion accessory.
How do masks work?
Since March 2020, most of Australia has been masking up each time we step into crowded public spaces. But how do face masks actually work? Well, in its most basic form, a face mask covering the mouth nose blocks viral respiratory droplets from becoming airborne. A study in found that a coronavirus actually attaches to proteins in the nasal passage, so covering the nose is essential to preventing the transmission of the virus. But there are varying types
