July 15th, 2020 by Chris Chapman

The Science Behind the Masks

From 24th July, face masks will be mandatory in shops across the UK. In Scotland, this is already the case as we write this. As COVID-19 is such a serious disease, you may be wondering how something as simple as a piece of fabric over your face can help prevent it from spreading. The answer is surprisingly simple – we’ll explain it all below.

Why Wear a Mask?

COVID-19 primarily spreads through respiratory droplets – tiny particles of moisture and mucus that we expel into the air every time we breathe out. This virus is carried by these particles, which will either land on a surface – contaminating it – or be breathed in by someone else. Recent studies have shown that COVID-19 can live in the air for up to three hours. Masks will catch most of the particles you breathe out, meaning that if you’re infected, it’s less likely you’ll pass the disease on to other people. As you probably know, COVID-19 can be asymptomatic. This means someone could be infectious, but they may not feel ill. In fact, they may never develop any symptoms at all, and the virus will come and go without affecting them in any way.

It’s important to understand this because the main point of a mask isn’t to protect you (although they do help with this a little, as we’ll explain later), it’s to protect those around you. You may well have the virus and be completely asymptomatic, but if you pass the virus onto others, they might not be so lucky. Masks catch the vast majority of respiratory droplets you breathe out, which – when combined with other measures, like social distancing – will dramatically reduce the likelihood of passing on an infection.

This also means that masks are most effective when everyone is wearing them. If everyone has a mask, then everyone is keeping their own germs to themselves. If one person in a room isn’t wearing a mask, it can risk spreading the disease to everyone else in there. This is why the government has decided to make them compulsory in indoor public spaces. Businesses returning to work should be aware of this and should make an effort to provide masks to their staff and customers.

Will a Mask Stop Me From Catching the Virus?

Masks can make it less likely that you’ll catch the virus. As mentioned above, if everyone is wearing a mask, then there will be fewer contaminated particles in the air. However, there is another, less obvious way that masks can prevent you from becoming infected. They stop you from touching your face as much, which reduces the risk of cross-contamination.

COVID-19 can live on some surfaces for up to 72 hours. It can be picked up by touch and transferred onto your face without you realising. Studies show that we touch our faces, on average, 23 times an hour, particularly around the mouth and nose. When your mouth and nose are covered with a face mask, you won’t be able to touch them, so the virus has fewer routes into your body.

Will a Mask Stop Me From Breathing Properly?

There is no evidence that face coverings, when worn properly, restrict oxygen intake enough to cause breathing problems in healthy people. Wearing a mask may be slightly uncomfortable, but it will not cause oxygen deficiencies or CO2 intoxication, according to the WHO. However, you should make sure that your mask fits comfortably before going out in it.

Can I Wear a Mask if I Have Asthma or Other Breathing Problems?

Most people who have asthma can wear a face mask safely. They’re designed to let air flow freely through them, so they won’t obstruct your breathing too much. Asthma.org recommends that you try wearing a mask at home first to see if you can breathe comfortably. If you’re comfortable, wear your mask out on a short walk around the block (or in another quiet, safe area) to see how it affects you.

If you do find that your breathing is affected, you may not be able to wear a face mask. You should take extra care to observe social distancing and avoid busy places and public transport if at all possible, especially as COVID-19 is a respiratory disease. It is unclear at this stage if there is an official exemption for those who are unable to wear a mask for medical reasons, and England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are all governed by slightly different advice.

If you’re worried about being refused service in shops or fined because you’re unable to wear a mask, Asthma.org has several resources which you can show to shop workers or managers.

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Can I Wear a Mask While at the Gym?

The WHO advice is that people should not wear masks when exercising as they can become soaked in sweat. This can make it difficult to breathe properly while also promoting the growth of bacteria in the material of the mask itself. Consult your gym’s social distancing measures carefully before deciding to visit.

Are All Masks Effective?

According to Oxford University – who’s studies have been used to inform the government’s face mask policy - most face coverings are at least partially effective against COVID-19, provided they’re made of the correct material. Masks made of cotton, silk, or flannel have been found to protect the wearer and those around them. Crucially, masks which combine these materials in multiple layers will provide over 95% filtration, dramatically reducing the number of respiratory droplets you expel into the air.

This report also found that cotton masks will protect the mask wearer as well, although this does depend on other factors, such as handwashing and social distancing.

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Do Masks Reduce Viral Load?

Viral load refers to the number of viral particles that infect a person. In some cases, a higher viral load can lead to more severe symptoms, although there is no evidence that this is the case with COVID-19. A higher viral load does, however, increase the likelihood of infection – in short, the more viral particles that are in the air around you, the more likely you are to become infected. By reducing the number of viral particles that are shed into the air, masks will effectively reduce the viral load when worn by an infectious person.