Mask and bath tub analogy. Does this make sense?

So I've been thinking. Let's say you fill a bath tub full of water, and you pull drain stopper. The drain hole is much smaller than the tub of water, but it does not stop the water from going into it and ultimately empty the tub of water. So what happens if a micro droplet in the air hits a mask? The hole in the mask, even though it is smaller than the drop of water, could it stop the drop of water from going into it? I just don't see it. I just don't see how a mask could stop drops of water containing viruses.

a reply to: zoller

You are kind of catching on.

Here is the issue, a "mask" will catch some droplets containing virus if those droplets are larger than the weave / holes. Lots of leakage occurs around the mask.

A mask will catch a good amount of droplets from a wearer coughing which is good and does reduce overall virus particles at the time.


Here is the problem, those droplets eventually evaporate. Some virus will adhere to the cloth material, some will become airborne and go right through as any other airborne virus particles.

There is a reason surgical masks are disposable.

Wow. LOL!

It's been almost 2 years with this virus, decades of research with other viruses. Read a book.

a reply to: zoller

And yet, surgeons have worn masks for centuries, and there's good data that says that they stop a lot of infection.

Basically you are thinking of a mask as a filter. It isn't. But masks do interrupt air flow, so those virus laden particles can't be carried as far by the flow of air.

I nfection control 5: equipment for facial and respiratory protection

a reply to: zoller

This will really blow your mind .

you can also catch Viruses through your Eyes, Ears , Fingernail cuticles , Open wounds and lets not forget your Anus or Vagina .

a reply to: asabuvsobelow

Huh! You learn something new every day. Well, I knew they go in through the eyes. Didn't know they also go in through the private parts.

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: zoller

And yet, surgeons have worn masks for centuries, and there's good data that says that they stop a lot of infection.

Basically you are thinking of a mask as a filter. It isn't. But masks do interrupt air flow, so those virus laden particles can't be carried as far by the flow of air.

I nfection control 5: equipment for facial and respiratory protection

They wear masks that no one is wearing and they don't carry them around after use fondling them, playing with them like Biden does and putting the use mask on the table and eating and putting dirty masks back on all day.
IF they did that what would be the point then?

originally posted by: LordAhriman
Wow. LOL!

It's been almost 2 years with this virus, decades of research with other viruses. Read a book.

LordAhriman dude I'm like your biggest fan .

a reply to: zoller

Think of a screen in a window. Now, if you get a light rain, the screen would stop some of the drops. You could improve this by, using cotton thread instead of aluminum wire and weaving it into a tighter mesh.

It's the same principle. Yes, you can filter out some water droplets with a filter. Your results will depend on the filter and the conditions. I seem to recall that scientists developed a membrane that can filter air out of water like a fish gill decades ago.

But I wouldn't count on a $5/dozen mask to filter out viruses unless the virus is bigger than drywall dust.

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: zoller

And yet, surgeons have worn masks for centuries, and there's good data that says that they stop a lot of infection.

Basically you are thinking of a mask as a filter. It isn't. But masks do interrupt air flow, so those virus laden particles can't be carried as far by the flow of air.

I nfection control 5: equipment for facial and respiratory protection

Doctors wear them to prevent exposing surgical sites to infection and droplets on compromised people. It's common sense. It's not common sense for average people to wear a face filter. Most are not diseased and need to breath fresh air.

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: zoller

And yet, surgeons have worn masks for centuries, and there's good data that says that they stop a lot of infection.

Basically you are thinking of a mask as a filter. It isn't. But masks do interrupt air flow, so those virus laden particles can't be carried as far by the flow of air.

I nfection control 5: equipment for facial and respiratory protection

Viruses don’t cause infection. And masks have been used for about 100 years in surgery.

a reply to: zoller

It's proven the particles themselves are x1000 smaller than fibre holes in the mask..

Thats true and also they wear them for short amount of time in a clean surgical environment.. not going outside where all the bacteria is and touching ya mask every 2mins with dirty hands.. some people wear these things for days on end.. yuck.

It's a breading ground for bacteria

Warmth
Moisture
time

Is all you need for bacteria to thrive.

eply to: igloo

They don’t install screens on submarines for a reason. Yet it’s the idiots who probably would are the people making us mask up outdoors.

Let’s all touch our nasty masks then touch door handles and shake hands.

up until covid, the NIH studies all showed essentially no value to stopping influenza (primary viral disease that has enough cases to do case studies on). You should set your browser to 2018 and prior and see what the studies all say.

originally posted by: VictorVonDoom
a reply to: zoller

Think of a screen in a window. Now, if you get a light rain, the screen would stop some of the drops. You could improve this by, using cotton thread instead of aluminum wire and weaving it into a tighter mesh.

It's the same principle. Yes, you can filter out some water droplets with a filter. Your results will depend on the filter and the conditions. I seem to recall that scientists developed a membrane that can filter air out of water like a fish gill decades ago.

But I wouldn't count on a $5/dozen mask to filter out viruses unless the virus is bigger than drywall dust.

The screen analogy should also include what happens when there is even a hint of back-pressure (breathing). Hint: if you are still breathing after the mask pores are filled with droplets, you are getting virus air with every breath.

originally posted by: zoller
So I've been thinking. Let's say you fill a bath tub full of water, and you pull drain stopper. The drain hole is much smaller than the tub of water, but it does not stop the water from going into it and ultimately empty the tub of water. So what happens if a micro droplet in the air hits a mask? The hole in the mask, even though it is smaller than the drop of water, could it stop the drop of water from going into it? I just don't see it. I just don't see how a mask could stop drops of water containing viruses.

Like the vast majority of the population, you don’t understand the physics of how virus masks work. That’s because the physics aren’t obvious and nobody has bothered to educate the public.

The first thing to understand is that these masks are not primarily intended to be strainers. With a strainer, any object that is smaller than the holes will pass through and those that are larger won’t. Just like a bug can’t get through mosquito netting.

Virus masks rely on the fact that very small objects like viruses and droplets and dust particles and the fibers in the mask are attracted to each other—they are “sticky” at the microscopic level. They’re attracted to each other by what are called Van der Waals forces and by electrostatic charges that are deliberately embedded in the polypropylene fibers of a well constructed mask. The idea is to get the small objects you are trying to trap to come into contact with the fibers. If they do, they will be stuck there indefinitely by these short range forces. The best way to do that is to have as much surface area of the fibers as possible. The best way to do that is to make the fibers as small as reasonably possible and to have multiple layers. The spacing between the fibers is actually quite a bit larger than the objects the mask is intended to trap. That’s so there will be airflow through the mask that can carry the particles into contact with the fibers.

The electrostatic charge that is embedded in the polypropylene fibers also has the added benefit that it can deactivate viruses by basically pulling them apart with the electric field.

The physics that goes into these masks is actually quite sophisticated.

Having said that, it is also true that they act as strainers for larger particles, such as pieces of sawdust, etc.

a reply to: 1947boomer
that only works with dry air once you introduce moister it stops

This is why masks that use that have a valve for exhaled breath without this a mask becomes just a physical filter that's sized far to big for what your trying to filter

originally posted by: igloo

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: zoller

And yet, surgeons have worn masks for centuries, and there's good data that says that they stop a lot of infection.

Basically you are thinking of a mask as a filter. It isn't. But masks do interrupt air flow, so those virus laden particles can't be carried as far by the flow of air.

I nfection control 5: equipment for facial and respiratory protection

Doctors wear them to prevent exposing surgical sites to infection and droplets on compromised people. It's common sense. It's not common sense for average people to wear a face filter. Most are not diseased and need to breath fresh air.

Not a face filter! The masks do not work by filtering particles. They impede peak air flow. That is how they work.

Similarly, people wearing a mask breathe the same fresh air as the unmasked. You have to remember that people who are infectious are the source of the virus, not the masks they wear.

originally posted by: Skepticape

originally posted by: chr0naut
a reply to: zoller

And yet, surgeons have worn masks for centuries, and there's good data that says that they stop a lot of infection.

Basically you are thinking of a mask as a filter. It isn't. But masks do interrupt air flow, so those virus laden particles can't be carried as far by the flow of air.

I nfection control 5: equipment for facial and respiratory protection

Viruses don’t cause infection.

LOL, what? How does the Flu, or COVID-19, or any other viral illness, get spread around?

And masks have been used for about 100 years in surgery.

Why?