Stanford Researchers Debunk Popular Anti-Masker Myths
Updated: Nov 3, 2020
Stanford researchers Dr. Amy Price and Dr. Larry Chu (who is also a practicing anaesthesiologist) debunk popular anti-mask myths.
Both Dr. Price and Dr. Chu helped write changes to the WHO (World Health Organisation) guidelines on cloth face masks.
Dr. Price underlines the importance of wearing masks by saying masks help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Since COVID-19 can leave what are know as COVID clouds, aerosolised particles of the disease, which can last up to 30 hours in “perfect” conditions.
By wearing a mask, which doesn’t have to be a N95 and can be a home-made cotton mask, many COVID-19 particles can get trapped in the wearer’s mask.
Dr. Chu adds that masks can also prevent people from catching the disease, even though they aren’t as effective as stopping the spread and are an “effective measure for source control”; meaning slowing the spread of the disease.
Chu, a practicing anaesthesiologist for over 20 years, says that wearing a mask is “like putting on socks” for him and is a normalised practice in medical environments, which means mask-wearers will not suffer bacterial pneumonia or other health issues because of carbon dioxide intake.
Watch the video to see why these anti-mask myths are just that; myths.
