Wearing Face Masks as a Measure to Curb the Spread of Coronavirus - Free Essay Example

Coronavirus has been the focus of global health organizations and different nations. COVID-19 is a dangerous disease that has caused numerous deaths globally. The lack of an effective mode of treatment or vaccination for the virus makes its prevention and control a priority. Currently, scientific studies have provided a set of guidelines regarding preventive measures to curb the spread of the virus. Some of these measures include the stay-home campaigns, social distancing, sanitization, and washing of hands, and the wearing of face masks. Therefore, in a way, Coronavirus has changed the social aspect of human interactions. Since human beings are social beings, some of the guidelines for preventing the spread of the virus are almost impossible and mere illusion leaving the wearing of face masks as the best way to reduce and control the spread of the virus. Thus, the paper examines the wearing of face masks as the most significant approach to curb the spread of COVID-19.

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Face Masks and Other Preventive Measures for Coronavirus

COVID-19 virus spreads through personal contact. Epidemiology and virology research proved that the virus jumps from an infected person, objects, or surfaces to a healthy person when they contact these surfaces. The respiratory droplets from the symptomatic individuals pass the infection to the people or surfaces around them, thereby making their way into healthy people. The only point of entry for the virus into the body of a healthy person is through the mouth, ears, eyes, and nose when infected hands or objects get in contact with these body organs (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). As such, sanitization of hands, and objects as well as maintaining a safe distance, are critically essential in the prevention of the spread of the virus. However, challenges arise with these prevention and control measures as people have to interact with one another in the routine work environment continually. Certain tasks make social distancing almost impossible. Additionally, sanitization and washing of hands, especially in an industrial or manual work environment each time a person touches a different surface, can be challenging and time-consuming. Therefore, the only way and best solution for the prevention of the spread of the virus is through the wearing of face masks. Face masks best control and prevent the spread of the virus by preventing the entry point for the virus into the body (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). By wearing the face masks, a person prevents possible subconscious contact of the eyes and nose with the hands which, in most cases, contact the virus first.

Effectiveness of Face Masks in Preventing Physical Contact with Viruses

Wearing of face masks has been a clinical procedure for nurses and physicians, particularly those performing operations to prevent infection of the wounds of patients. The method has been in use for decades and has effectively prevented severe contamination and spread of other diseases. For instance, a physician operating wears face masks to avoid the introduction of foreign viral infections to the wound of the patient through sneezing or coughing. Face masks worn to prevent the spread of the virus functions in more or less in a similar manner. Infected persons who have flu-like symptoms such as coughing and sneezing can prevent the spread of the virus on to other surfaces, objects, and other people. By wearing a face mask, infected persons contain the virus to themselves and curb its spread from one individual to another. An excellent example of how face masks have been effective in the prevention and control of the spread of the virus is the case of the infected man traveling from China to Toronto (Kevin et al. 2020). The man tested positive upon medical examination. Despite having COVID-19 and interacting with other travelers on board, he did not pass the virus to the 25 individuals who had sat close to him (Kevin et al. 2020). It is worth noting that the man had flu-like symptoms like dry coughs and sneezing but had contained the virus by wearing a face mask throughout the entire journey.

Face Masks as a Way of Enhancing Economic Progress amidst the Pandemic

The outbreak and spread of COVID-19 has had numerous effects on the health of people. In addition to disrupting human health, the virus has caused economic crisis. Some of the worst-hit sectors of the economy include the hospitality and tourism industry, sports and entertainment, and hairdressing, among others. These are some of the sectors of the economy that heavily thrive under social interactions and direct personal contact. Coronavirus control and preventive measures such as stay-home initiatives, avoiding direct contact and social distancing affects these businesses and sectors severely (Derek K Chu et al. 2020). Therefore, there is a need for a different approach to curb the spread of the virus while at the same time opening up businesses closed down due to the virus. Wearing of face masks happens to be the best way to reduce the spread of the virus and allow economic activities in these sector to progress. The use of face masks coupled with other measures ensures that people can perform their activities normally and regulate the spread of the virus. The use of face mask as a preventive and control measure for the virus has proven to be effective in numerous ways. One of excellent example is the case of Missouri hairstylists who interacted with over 140 clients while positive (The Washington Post, 2020). In this case, both the hairstylists and the clients were wearing face masks as they interacted. Upon medical examination, the two hairstylists tested positive while none of the clients got infected with the virus (The Washington Post, 2020). Even though the hairstylists incorporated other preventive and control measures, wearing of face masks in this scenario proved to be the best way to curb the spread of the virus.

Scientific Research Affirming the Effectiveness of Face Masks in Controlling COVID-19

The effectiveness of wearing of face masks as a way of preventing the spread of COVID-19 stems from the scientific proof and meta-analysis on the virus. Several studies and evidences are available to support the efficacy of face masks in the control of the spread of coronavirus. One of these proofs is the laboratory study of the structure and makeups of the respiratory droplets that plays a central role in the transmission of the virus. According to these studies, face masks have a higher chance of blocking these respiratory droplets from spreading to the environment and making their ways into a healthy person. According to The New England Journal of Medicine (2020), covering the mouth reduces the rate and number of droplets that a person sprays into the environment when communicating. The journal outlines a study involving high-speed video of an individual stating a phrase and generating approximately 20 to 500 micrometers of respiratory droplets (The New England Journal of Medicine, 2020). A similar study is evident in the article by Leung et al (2020), in which the wearing of surgical masks prevented the release of influenza and common cold virus into the atmosphere in aerosol forms. The face masks preventing the spread of coronavirus operate similarly. They prevent the aerosol spray of the virus into the atmospheric environment and other objects when an infect person coughs or sneezes. Additionally, the help health people stay safe by preventing the droplets getting into the mouth and nose when a person either touches the mouth or nose with infected hands or inhaling moist droplets from a sick person.

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention, (2020, July). Does the CDC recommend the use of facemasks or face coverings to prevent COVID-19? Retrieved on July 28, 2020 from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html#Spread

Derek, K.C., Elie, A.A., Stephanie, D., Karla, S., Sally, Y., & Holger, J.S. (2020). Physical distancing, face masks, and eye protection to prevent person-to-person transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet. Retrieved on July 28, 2020 from https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31142-9

Kevin L.S., Michelle, M., Michael, F., J, A. L., Alanna, F., Laura, B., Hamidah, M., Andrea, S., Vanessa, A., & Barbara. (2020, April). Lack of COVID-19 transmission on an international flight. Canadian Medical Association Journal. Retrieved on July 28, 2020, from https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.75015

Leffler, C., Ing, E., Lykins, J., Hogan, M., McKeown, C., & Grzybowski, A. (2020, June). Association of country-wide coronavirus mortality with demographics, testing, lockdowns, and the public wearing of masks. Research Gate. Retrieved on July 28, 2020 from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342198360_Association_of_country-wide_coronavirus_mortality_with_demographics_testing_lockdowns_and_public_wearing_of_masks_Update_June_15_2020/

Leung, N.H.L., Chu, D.K.W., Shiu, E.Y.C. et al. (2020). Respiratory virus shedding in exhaled breath and efficacy of face masks. Nature Medicine. Retrieved on July 28, 2020 from https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-0843-2

The New England Journal of Medicine (2020). Visualizing Speech-Generated Oral Fluid Droplets with Laser Light Scattering. Retrieved on July 28, 2020 from https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2007800#article_citing_articles

The Washington Post (June 17, 2020). The outbreak that didn’t happen: Masks credited with preventing coronavirus spread inside Missouri hair salon. Retrieved on July 28, 2020 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/06/17/masks-salons-missouri/

University of California San Francisco (June 26, 2020). Still Confused About Masks? Here’s the Science Behind How Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus. Retrieved on July 28, 2020 from https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/06/417906/still-confused-about-masks-heres-science-behind-how-face-masks-prevent

Wei, L., and George, L.W. (2020). Community Use Of Face Masks And COVID-19: Evidence From A Natural Experiment Of State Mandates In The US. Health Affairs. Retrieved on July 28, 2020 from https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00818