Covid-19: Sheet masks won’t protect you from Delta variant – Health expert warns | Health

A senior scientist has warned that cloth masks will not protect people from the rapidly spreading variant of covid-19 Delta.

The warning comes as some U.S. states and cities face the potential of a mask warrant in response to the Delta variant.

Michael Osterholm, epidemiologist and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, says most masks are ineffective.

“When you take out a cloth mask, microscopic aerosols pass through the material, which people sniff or inhale,” Osterholm said in an interview with CNN.

“You know, I wish we could get rid of the term masking because, in fact, it implies that whatever you put in front of your face is working, and if I could just add a nuance to what hopefully doesn’t. ‘Adding no more confusion is we know today that many facial tissue blankets that people wear are not very effective in reducing virus movement indoors or outdoors,’ said Osterholm.

He explained that when wearing a cloth mask during a forest fire, one can still feel the burning flames, exposing the flaws of a cloth mask.

“Either you breathe out or you breathe in and in fact, if you’re in the upper Midwest right now, anyone wearing a face covering can tell you they can smell all the smoke we’re still getting,” he added. .

Last month, Scott Gottlieb, MD, former Commissioner of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), said that a good quality mask is needed to protect against such a contagious strain as the Delta variant.

“It’s not more airborne, and it’s not more likely to be permeable to a mask. So a mask can always come in handy, ”Gottlieb told host John Dickerson.

“I think, however, that if you are considering wearing a mask, the quality of the mask matters. So if you can get your hands on a KN95 mask or an N95 mask, it will give you a lot more protection. “