“If you’re going to the grocery store or you are an essential worker coming in contact with a lot of people, I recommend wearing a cotton mask over a surgical mask which can catch more than 90% of respiratory aerosols.” — Joseph Allen, Harvard University

Ever want to be a superhero? Today, it’s as simple as wearing two masks, not one, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The move from calls for simply covering your face with a bandana or a folded t-shirt has now caught up with the science. One mask isn’t sufficient to protect you and us.

The idea that a single, homemade facemask would be adequate protection was thought of as a good idea by Dr. Jerome Adams, the Surgeon General of the United States. He encouraged people to follow his demonstration of a DIY mask that was uploaded to Youtube. “With items, you can find around the house.”

Making your own masks may be the only option for some people, but here it’s a matter of quality of the material.

“If you’re making a cloth mask from 600-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, that’s different than making it from a cheap T-shirt that’s not very finely woven,” according to Dr. Ramzi Asfour, an infectious-disease physician.

Sorry, doc, that that ain’t good enough and it never was good enough. You tried, but it was a failed effort.

The N95 mask and other masks, used in healthcare settings and difficult to find in stores, were seen as the protection needed. But was it sufficient? Studies are now revealing that even this mask may not be adequately protective.

“…an N95 mask reduces the droplet leakage around the mask edges during the cough. However, the pressure inside the mask increases during coughs and the turbulent jet is directed through the front. Although both surgical and N95 masks decelerate the turbulent jet, none of them will prevent the droplets entirely from penetrating or escaping the mask, i.e., droplet transmission.”

Both mask leakage due to material construction and the saturation of the mask are prime factors requiring consideration in preventing droplet dispersion. Here, in the delicate interplay of weave and fiber characteristics, i.e., the smoothness or fuzziness of fiber, the true dynamics of a cough or virus spread must be calculated. While the CDC recommends cloth masks for the public, are they sufficient? Seemingly not.

What other factors besides the material of the mask must be considered? Numerous elements are brought into play, such as cough volume, droplet size, distance from an infected person, and the mask’s fit.

The mask-to -face fitting is important. Even in the case of a tight-fitting scenario, if there exist some small openings, this can lead to additional leakage of droplets around the mask, which cannot be ignored.

The Case for Doubling Masking

The case has been made for the need to wear a mask and the seriousness of transmission of a virus. Even wearing a mask, depending on the type, nothing appears to provide 100% protection, and many masks offer more than slightly 50% to the wearer.

Concern is now being expressed regarding the new variants of the COVID-19 virus, its virility, and its high transmission rate. Both of these together may indicate that a smaller quantity of material may be just as deadly or result in more infections. The secret to this increased infection by variants lies in its molecular shape, which affords a more efficient bonding and access to cells.

The N501Y mutation seems to refine the shape of the puzzle piece, allowing a tighter fit and increasing the chance of a successful infection.

Whether or not this is the case, it makes sense to increase our protection as an additional measure to maintain health. Present vaccines may prove to have decreased effectiveness in treating these new variants. Masks need to be more efficient, and therein lies the rationale for double masking.

Based on these (research) findings, we recommend a three-layer mask consisting of outer layers of a flexible, tightly woven fabric and an inner layer consisting of a material designed to filter out particles. This combination should produce an overall efficiency of >70% at the most penetrating particle size and >90% for particles 1 μm and larger if the mask fits well.

The research may not have caught up with the variants yet. Is a three-layer, single mask the solution, or should a more aggressive approach be taken? The new attack of the virus variants has been a game-changer. Seemingly, the thinking is that two masks, not one, may be the answer even if it has three layers.

The reasoning is that wearing more than one mask may inhibit the viral blobs’ pathway that reaches you. If the masks can trap those particles, you may be safe, but they remain in the mask, don’t they? This, then, makes a case for changing your mask and not continuing to carry around a mask full of viruses.

Isn’t it worth your health to change your mask and not hang on to it?

The post Not Simply Masking, But Double Masking Is Needed appeared first on Medika Life.

We’re approaching the holidays in the middle of a pandemic, and flu season is right around the corner. We must take note of the doctors and scientists sounding the alarms.

Public health messages abound are begging the public to avoid Thanksgiving family gatherings, but many still plan to travel and enjoy turkey and stuffing as though 2020 was a typical year.

States are reaching hospital surge capacity all over the country as the dark winter approaches. Reports from Salt Lake City, El Paso, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas offer dire news as hospitals run out of beds. Texas and all of the Midwest are seeing exponential growth in new cases.

At the start of the pandemic, flattening the curve was the goal. The idea was to prevent illnesses from happening all at the same time. We wanted to flatten the curve to avoid surpassing our health system’s capacity to accommodate the needs of the acutely ill. We failed. Miserably.

We are way past the point of flattening the curve. As you see below, Covid-19 patients are filling up the available hospital beds. To make it worse, influenza cases have not yet hit most cities.

As testing capacity continues to improve across the country, the number of diagnosed cases will increase. While an asymptomatic exposure warrants testing at local facilities, large lab companies are running out of testing supplies, reagents, and technicians to meet the demand.

As community spread continues, it will be tempting for mildly symptomatic patients to go to a hospital or urgent care facility for testing. For the vast majority of patients, an ER visit may lead to unintended and tragic consequences.

Only those experiencing severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, need in-person medical evaluation. Most Covid-19 patients will experience a flu-like illness without respiratory distress. Those with respiratory symptoms should call a health care provider for guidance. Expanded telehealth services offer quick and easy solutions for medical advice.

Each patient who presents to an ER, urgent care center or physician’s office exposes other patients and, importantly, medical providers to the infection.Over 1,700 health care workers have tragically lost their lives to Covid-19. Health care infections limit the number of available providers to treat others. If doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff are sick, who will care for the patients?

Remember, the hospital capacity problem is not only about caring for Covid-19. People will still have heart attacks, strokes, appendicitis, gallstones, and other medical ailments. If the hospitals are full, there is no way to care for these patients. In my OB-GYN specialty, the coronavirus does not stop pregnancy. Pandemic or not, babies are being born — and each new birth represents hope for humanity.

The Covid vaccine will not help us this winter

Even if a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine were to be approved tomorrow, the timeline shows there is zero chance a vaccine plays a meaningful role in the next three months.

The leading vaccine candidates require two doses one month apart with a three-week window to develop immunity inducing antibodies. This necessary dosing protocol extends the timeline from receipt of the vaccine until one can reliably count on immunity.

Once the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a vaccine, the challenging process of distributing vaccines to 328.2 million Americans begins.

Lets put politics aside and care for each other

Social isolation. Loneliness. We are all tired and restless. Everyone wants to get back to normal life. There is a pathway forward. Our world requires a collective effort to navigate through the pandemic. Each of us must make sacrifices to squelch the viral scourge.

But not all Americans agree on how society or our government should handle the pandemic. While we celebrate the American diversity of opinions, in this present moment, we each must make decisions about how we live our day-to-day life.

We are living in Pascal’s Wager.

Any of us may be asymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2. Each of us may spread the virus before symptoms began and inadvertently pass the infection to another person.

What can I do at home if I get sick?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends those who think they may have Covid-19 and are not having severe symptoms to:

1. Stay home except to get medical care.

2. Monitor your symptoms carefully. If your symptoms get worse, call your health care provider immediately.

3. Get rest and stay hydrated. Take over-the-counter medicines, such as acetaminophen, to help you feel better.

4. If you have a medical appointment, notify your health care provider ahead of time that you have or may have Covid-19.

5. Stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. If possible, use a separate bathroom. If you must be around others, wear a mask.

The CDC recommends prompt medical treatment if you have:

1. Difficulty breathing
2. Chest pain
3. Confusion
4. Inability to wake or stay awake
5. Bluish lips or face

Covid-19 is spread through person-to-person contact via respiratory particles. Breathing, talking, sneezing, and coughing spread large droplets. When we gather in groups, each of us is only as safe as the least compliant person around us.

Each American must follow the mitigation strategies to protect themself and others. Stay at home. Wash your hands. Practice social distancing. Get your flu shot.

And remember: Wearing a mask is the easiest thing we can do to slow the spread of coronavirus and save lives.

The post Doctors Sound the Alarm on Covid-19 Cases. Is Anyone Listening? appeared first on Medika Life.

Editors Note / 11 Oct 2020: It has come to our attention that manufacture and delivery of the Leaf Healthcare Mask (Redcliffe Medical Devices) has been thrown into doubt, despite large amounts of capital raised through crowdfunding. We advise potential investors to proceed with caution and will post a full article investigating allegations against Redcliffe. We have invited comment from the company.

It’s what every trendy doctor is wearing if the press hype is to be believed. Masks are no longer simply an integral part of a doctor or nurse theater apparel, they’re now defacto garb for every medical professional engaged in the war against Covid-19. In fact, according to the science, they will save your life.

So how does the average ER clinician ensure they can look both stylish and comfortable, whilst remaining safe? Until recently, they haven’t been able to. Older masks weren’t designed for extended use, in an out of the theater, around the hospital, and then onto the golf course.

Masks, particularly N95 masks, were designed to eliminate airborne particles. Minute ones. That was it. Their design parameters didn’t incorporate comfort, extended use, or any of the things we now expect a mask to provide. Companies stepped up to the challenge and the last few weeks have seen a spate of new products released.

Here then is a list of these products, with links to their products and websites. Whilst Joe Public can purchase these, and many people no doubt will, these particular masks have been created specifically for the medical industry with a few key elements in mind, namely but not limited to;

1. Visibility, without fogging or condensation. Masks are now clear, a move which will probably be emulated in the wider market as facial recognition software and phones struggle to see through conventional masks.
2. Comfort, comfort, and more comfort. Wear something long enough and it chafes, rubs and generally annoys, particularly on areas of our skin that aren’t used to the pressure. Masks worn for extended periods need to be comfortable.
3. Re-usable. If you’re paying over the odds for a product, you need to get your money’s worth out of it. No problem now, as most of the new designs feature interchangeable filters and some masks are even sold with their own disinfecting UV chambers to sterilize your mask.

So who has skin in the game, in terms of trying to corner this new market that has emerged overnight. Let’s look at some of the players. We’ll start with my favorite, for a number of reasons, Leaf Healthcare (Redcliffe Medical)

Leaf Healthcare

This company, in my humble opinion, is way ahead of the curve. If masks were cellphones, Leaf would be the Apple of masks. Their masks not only look the business, they also sport a whole lot of tech noticeably absent from their competitors. You actually WANT to wear this mask it looks so cool.

Add to that, recent FDA approval and you get an idea of just how far ahead of the curve Leaf is in terms of innovation.

According to one of their recent press releases;

At long last, a reliable option closest to the experience of not having a mask on is here. The lightweight, inventive gear, developed by Detroit-based Redcliffe Medical, is called the LEAF Mask. It’s the world’s first FDA-registered transparent mask with N99-quality air filtering and self-sterilizing qualities, and was built using aerospace technology with 100-percent recyclable optical-grade materials.

LEAF’s unibody mask is designed with clear medical-grade silicone, offering a universal fit and, finally, literal transparency in communicating, with the N99+ HEPA\HEPA-Carbon filters strategically placed around the chin to keep the bottom half of your face visible. It also means you will be able to unlock your smartphone without removing your face mask.

The masks are available in various configurations, The entry-level HEPA model features N99+ U15, HEPA Filtration. See-through design. N95 Filtered Exhausts, Biocompatible proprietary shape fit Silicone and starts at $49 or you can opt for the Pro shown below.

Masks, however, are not the only trick Leaf have up their designer sleeve. Say hello to the coolest looking UV disinfecting and sterilizing unit known to man. Its called the Leaf Dock and although it won’t charge your phone, it will definitely sterilize it in 14 seconds flat.

The Dock, with a massive sterilization volume of 50cm X 35cm X 30cm, doubles up as a sterilization station for everything from Leaf Mask itself to smartphones, laptops, purses, wallets etc. Leaf Dock retails from $299 and if you’re serious about offering your family the best protection money can buy, Leaf is in our opinion, the best choice.

UM Systems

Our second choice is UM Systems, a Colorado company founded in 2016 as one of Measure Inc.’s global brands. With its phenomenal debut on Kickstarter on June 25, UV Mask, an antiviral and anti-pollution UV-C face mask with the most advanced protection efficiency, continues its successful journey mounting its funding and crossing $2,500,000 in just 6 weeks.

According to their press release;

UV Mask is a next generation reusable face mask equipped with a double-protection system.

The first layer of protection is a high-efficiency CE-FFP2 disposable air-filter that purifies the air from 95% of particles as small as 0.3 microns (smoke, dust, pollen, etc.).

The second layer of protection is the groundbreaking patent-pending Sterile-Vortex, which inactivates all airborne pathogens and bacteria down to 0.1 microns using the ultra-high intensity UV-C light, providing total protection in real-time as you breathe.

Although the product promises very high efficacy, its comfort and visual appeal are questionable. Its early days and any claims made with regards to whose product is more effective would need to be viewed rather skeptically. What we do know for certain is that these new masks are a huge step up in terms of protection for a regular N95 mask.

How does it work?

The UV Mask uses UV-C light in real-time to filter the air as you breathe it in. According to the companies spec on Kickstarter;

We use two state-of-the-art 265nm pure UV-C LEDs in the Sterile-Vortex, which are ozone free, ultra-safe, and durable. As you breathe, the air is sent through the vortex and purified under two 25,000μW/cm² UV-C LEDs that are connected by a quartz chamber wall, making the total UV-C intensity 50,000μW/cm² throughout. Enjoy two high-efficiency layers of protection. Beyond purifying, our cool mask filters the air from dust, pollen, tobacco, bushfire smoke, and air pollutants

Although not as stylish or groundbreaking as Leaf, UV Mask offers real benefits and definite increases in levels of safety and air purity over existing masks. Click onto the Kickstarter link above to stay in the loop in terms of availability and pricing.

purMe

Is a gas mask. It is sold as one, looks like one, and performs like one.

Lost in translation? Perhaps. This mask looks like it would be more at home on the battlefield than a local ER. This is what the manufacturer has to say in terms of the mask’s performance in their most recent press release.

The standard filter is rated at KN95 for particular protection with provision to upgrade into the P100 level. It will filter out pollution particles, allergens, bacteria and viruses, and block out harmful droplets. It is available in crystal clear color, so people can see a person’s face, and facial recognition will work.

urME’s LFGB-approved silicone facepiece will seal off droplets, water splash and pollutants when it is put on. It is supple and shaped to fit people of all face profiles comfortably. The material is fully machine-washable in hot water; it takes just 20 seconds to disassemble for cleaning or swapping filters. It is like a gas mask but with only one-third of its weight and size.

Inside the mask is a pair of inhalation and exhalation valves, ensuring one-way airflow. This will maximize the useful life of the filter and keep the mask cool and dry, as excess humidity and heat are breathed out every time someone exhales. Ten KN95-certified filters are included with each mask, each lasting up to 50 hours. More filters are available as add-ons.

You can follow their progress on their IndieGoGo webpage where the technology the mask uses is discussed in detail and the purMe mask can be pre-ordered starting from $34 with 10 filters for an essential package (50% off MSRP) to a $78 special pack that includes two masks of the buyer’s choice and bags.

The post The Latest Technology Offerings in Covid-19 N95+ Masks appeared first on Medika Life.