Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] SARS update today was really scary.

[Jonathan King <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Wed, 2 Apr 2003, Michael wrote:

> Any idea if those people that are wearing medical masks are actually
> deriving benefit from it? I've always seen people wearing those on Asian
> tv and on the news but was never sure if it really helped. Seems very
> practical so why don't American's wear them if it helps avoid colds and
> such?

There are probably multiple things going on here.  In Japan, it is 
traditional for somebody who has a cold or the flu but is out in public
to wear one of these in order not to spread the bug.  In Hong Kong, I
don't know if that is the tradition or not, although it might have been
advised that people who were in contact with SARS patients do this so
that the droplets expelled from their coughs and sneezes don't become
airborne.  I think the first people I saw pictures of doing this looked
like nurses; from there on, it might have caught on in some weird way 
through the media (as such things do).

Most masks of this kind are not very useful against a truly airborne virus
particle, which is generally small enough to slide right through it.

jking


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