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How ya figure?
Filtration is a basic concept in engineering. It spans many engineering disciplines. And it's not at all hard to picture how they work.
You want another long post on the subject of filters? Probably not.
To get sick you have to get enough of a virus dose to get past the general line of defense. So dose matters and a handful of viruses in your airway probably doesn't do it. As likely as not most of us have already inhaled a few SARS-Cov-2 particles.
Two guys in a room, guy A has Covid, guy B trying not to get it, both masked. Say each mask knocks down half the virus. Doesn't sound like much, but combined they knock down 3/4 of the virus that tries to hop from guy A to guy B. That means the exposure has to be that much more direct, so if the two guys are keeping their distance, it's hard to deliver that direct hit.
It's about improving the odds, not completely eliminating the element of chance. People argue that masks don't work because there is still that element of chance. They should know better. The nuttiest one is people who are okay accepting the risk MASKLESS but vehemently reject masks because they DON'T ELIMINATE ALL OF THE RISK. That's just nuttier than a holiday fruitcake.
Filtration is a basic concept in engineering. It spans many engineering disciplines. And it's not at all hard to picture how they work.
You want another long post on the subject of filters? Probably not.
To get sick you have to get enough of a virus dose to get past the general line of defense. So dose matters and a handful of viruses in your airway probably doesn't do it. As likely as not most of us have already inhaled a few SARS-Cov-2 particles.
Two guys in a room, guy A has Covid, guy B trying not to get it, both masked. Say each mask knocks down half the virus. Doesn't sound like much, but combined they knock down 3/4 of the virus that tries to hop from guy A to guy B. That means the exposure has to be that much more direct, so if the two guys are keeping their distance, it's hard to deliver that direct hit.
It's about improving the odds, not completely eliminating the element of chance. People argue that masks don't work because there is still that element of chance. They should know better. The nuttiest one is people who are okay accepting the risk MASKLESS but vehemently reject masks because they DON'T ELIMINATE ALL OF THE RISK. That's just nuttier than a holiday fruitcake.
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