Scientist Demonstrates The Effect Of Wearing A Mask Vs. Not Wearing One Interview With Author
Even though plenty of countries are relaxing coronavirus lockdown rules and businesses are reopening, the Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t gone anywhere. This means that wearing a mask is just as important now as it was a month or two ago. However, masks are only recommended, not compulsory in many places, even though wearing one makes a huge difference.
Researcher Rich Davis showed everyone on Twitter just how important wearing a mask is with a simple experiment using agar cultures. The scientist demonstrated that masks greatly reduce the spread of respiratory droplets and bacteria. Which is a win when we’re in the middle of a pandemic. Dr. Davis told Bored Panda that he was asked to try and show the effectiveness of mask-wearing. “This type of demonstration isn’t new which is one reason I’ve definitely been surprised at the huge online response.” Scroll down to see what a difference wearing a mask makes and read on for the rest of our interview with Dr. Davis.
When you’re done reading this post, dear Pandas, have a look through our earlier article where a doctor demonstrates how wearing different masks affects your body.
Rich Davis demonstrated just how big of a difference wearing a mask makes
He then showed what effect keeping your distance has
He repeated that masks are important to slowing the spread of the coronavirus
Somebody even summarized his little experiment in a video
It’s amazing how much good one little mask can do! Check out how a normal, everyday mask keeps respiratory droplets from spreading outside your body, potentially sharing viruses. pic.twitter.com/zeXyemJwO8
— Providence Eastern WA (@providence_phc) June 26, 2020
Rich’s demonstration got a lot of attention
Exclusive: How effective is a mask? We headed to @providence_phc‘s lab with @richdavisphd to find out. I did the following with and without a mask: talk, sing, cough, and sneeze. We just got the results today. Full story airs tonight at 6 on @KHQLocalNews. pic.twitter.com/I32VhXXEfF
— Kevin Kim (@NewsWithKevin) June 26, 2020
The role of mask: comparison of airflow when people wearing and not wearing mask talk and cough. (video: LaVision) pic.twitter.com/iDfKMUDslW
— People’s Daily, China (@PDChina) April 6, 2020
Rich said that he enjoyed talking to people about his demonstration
Image credits: richdavisphd
The expert told us that there are some times and places that wearing a mask isn’t necessary. “If you have not been exposed and don’t have symptoms of a respiratory disease, not wearing a mask around the people with whom you are quarantined (family, significant other, etc.) or when you’re alone. When in public, since it is often impossible to maintain 6 ft of distance, masking is always a good idea. There’s evidence that being outdoors (when droplets and aerosols don’t concentrate like they would in a crowded, enclosed space) is safer, but again if you might be in close proximity to others, a mask would still be a good idea.”
Dr. Davis explained that the purpose of his demonstration was to show that what comes from your mouth and throat while talking, coughing, sneezing, and singing can “largely be blocked” by wearing a mask. “Viruses are many times smaller than bacteria, but the virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to mostly be transmitted, not free-floating in the air, but in large droplets like the kind produced by these behaviors. So even if a mask without an air-tight seal doesn’t block all droplets that might be produced, it can certainly block a large portion of them.”
The number of new cases is rising again in the US
Rich is the director of the clinical microbiology laboratory at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, Washington. His informative and to-the-point post got a lot of attention online. He got over 280.4k likes, his post was retweeted more than 166k times, and someone even made a video summary of his experiment! It’s a good thing Rich’s post was seen by so many people, considering that the coronavirus has made a resurgence in some places.
The situation isn’t as optimistic as we’d like it to be. The number of people who died with Covid-19 has surpassed half a million, globally. What’s more, since the coronavirus outbreak started, there have been over 10 million cases of infected.
The number of cases is rising in 30 US states, the BBC reports. While more than 400k people are under a new lockdown in the Chinese province of Hebei. It’s a confusing time because while some countries are seeing the number of cases go up, other places are further relaxing restrictions. For example, more and more businesses are reopening in Scotland, students are returning to schools in Wales after a 3-month break.
Here’s how some people reacted to Rich’s Twitter thread
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Image credits: PattyArquette
I do not understand why some people think being told to wear a mask, during a pandemic, is considered having their freedoms taken away from them. That is like someone complaining about not being allowed to drive down a sidewalk.
You are talking about people who lack common sense. I tried explaining to one of them one day about the dangers of not wearing a mask, and I might as well have had a conversation with the wall. I hope the thinking shifts now that a lot of them are getting sick, but I’m still not too hopeful.
Yeah... some people simply don't/won't learn not to touch fire even after they've been burned. In recent news in Arizona, a Pinal county sheriff refused to wear a mask, contracted Corona with relatively mild consequences, and still won't wear a mask.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Perhaps you should talk to the people and have a legit conversation with them not just assume. The people ranting their freedom is gone is very small percentage of the people. I for one do not agree with the masks. It's not because of freedoms it is because I simply dont care and see it as thinning out people. Welcome to being a living object on good old mother earth. And she seems angry we have over populated it. Yes, I'm a monster! No, I'm a realist. My company and many others are failing and jobs being lost because of the fear. But more people are injured in car accidents then this virus has even passed by but everyone drives without a care, many just texting away as the drive. People will tell me I would care if hit close to home. It has. My 3 yr old as had it. I fall in "high risk" as a cancer survivor. Cancer could have killed me before I was age to rent a car. Dont live in fear. There are so many other things that we do daily that can off us. But they aren't new and this is.
Never underestimate stupidity
Now asked this people tô sign a no corona vírus treatment paper, and they will for sure not sign.
I think the forces that rule the Universe are involved. Those people politicizing the masks are the very people who accused others of politicizing the virus when, in fact, it was them politicizing the virus. The forces that rule the Universe never stop checking IQs.
Absolutely right mike , after reading this whole article i can assure & will share these valuable information about mask benefits even .
Sourav saxena ( Blogger ) what
If this were only about choosing whether or not to protect *yourself* from danger, then the "right to choose" would apply. But that's not the case. Not wearing a mask means you're choosing to put *others* in danger. I wear a mask to protect the people *you* love. Please please PLEASE protect those I love too.
That's what wearing a mask is about. It's not about protecting yourself, it's about protecting others. My mother says, "Your rights end where my nose begins." My right to not be sick supersedes your "right" to not wear a mask.
Now you’re pushing it. Those people are not deep thinkers. You lost them at protect others.
Most of them aren't thinkers at all, let alone deep.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Why would i care about others? Everyone only cares for themselves.
No you don’t. Shut the fuck up.
Go fuck yourself.
I hate using the masks (I feel like I'm asphyxiating) but I don't leave my house without it because I realize that a small inconvenience is preferable than bringing the disease home where my family and/or neighbors could get infected.
Get surgical-quality masks. They are very comfortable to wear. The cheapo ones are plasticky and suffocating. Difference in the material.
Cloth one Blue Cross sent: thick and I feel weird after I wear it, like I want to cough. Disposables I've been buying from eBay: good, comfortable and no throat tickles!
Cookie ?
I do not understand why some people think being told to wear a mask, during a pandemic, is considered having their freedoms taken away from them. That is like someone complaining about not being allowed to drive down a sidewalk.
You are talking about people who lack common sense. I tried explaining to one of them one day about the dangers of not wearing a mask, and I might as well have had a conversation with the wall. I hope the thinking shifts now that a lot of them are getting sick, but I’m still not too hopeful.
Yeah... some people simply don't/won't learn not to touch fire even after they've been burned. In recent news in Arizona, a Pinal county sheriff refused to wear a mask, contracted Corona with relatively mild consequences, and still won't wear a mask.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Perhaps you should talk to the people and have a legit conversation with them not just assume. The people ranting their freedom is gone is very small percentage of the people. I for one do not agree with the masks. It's not because of freedoms it is because I simply dont care and see it as thinning out people. Welcome to being a living object on good old mother earth. And she seems angry we have over populated it. Yes, I'm a monster! No, I'm a realist. My company and many others are failing and jobs being lost because of the fear. But more people are injured in car accidents then this virus has even passed by but everyone drives without a care, many just texting away as the drive. People will tell me I would care if hit close to home. It has. My 3 yr old as had it. I fall in "high risk" as a cancer survivor. Cancer could have killed me before I was age to rent a car. Dont live in fear. There are so many other things that we do daily that can off us. But they aren't new and this is.
Never underestimate stupidity
Now asked this people tô sign a no corona vírus treatment paper, and they will for sure not sign.
I think the forces that rule the Universe are involved. Those people politicizing the masks are the very people who accused others of politicizing the virus when, in fact, it was them politicizing the virus. The forces that rule the Universe never stop checking IQs.
Absolutely right mike , after reading this whole article i can assure & will share these valuable information about mask benefits even .
Sourav saxena ( Blogger ) what
If this were only about choosing whether or not to protect *yourself* from danger, then the "right to choose" would apply. But that's not the case. Not wearing a mask means you're choosing to put *others* in danger. I wear a mask to protect the people *you* love. Please please PLEASE protect those I love too.
That's what wearing a mask is about. It's not about protecting yourself, it's about protecting others. My mother says, "Your rights end where my nose begins." My right to not be sick supersedes your "right" to not wear a mask.
Now you’re pushing it. Those people are not deep thinkers. You lost them at protect others.
Most of them aren't thinkers at all, let alone deep.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Why would i care about others? Everyone only cares for themselves.
No you don’t. Shut the fuck up.
Go fuck yourself.
I hate using the masks (I feel like I'm asphyxiating) but I don't leave my house without it because I realize that a small inconvenience is preferable than bringing the disease home where my family and/or neighbors could get infected.
Get surgical-quality masks. They are very comfortable to wear. The cheapo ones are plasticky and suffocating. Difference in the material.
Cloth one Blue Cross sent: thick and I feel weird after I wear it, like I want to cough. Disposables I've been buying from eBay: good, comfortable and no throat tickles!
Cookie ?