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(CNN) – Hiding Americans is a top priority for the Biden administration.
Biden, who calls wearing masks “a patriotic act,” on Wednesday signed an executive order – his first ever as president – asking Americans to wear masks of their choice for the first 100 days of the new administration. The executive order also requires the use of a mask on all federal property, although in this case not just any old mask will do.
After the inauguration on Wednesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki showed off her shiny white N95 mask in the press conference room. “I wore it, of course, here today and will continue to do so,” Psaki said after removing his medical grade mask and before going to questions.
N95 masks are considered the gold standard for personal protective equipment as they block 95% of large and small particles using a unique electrostatic filter.
The filter works by trapping neutral particles like bacteria and viruses before they pass through the mask, thus protecting the user and those around them. It’s similar to how socks can get stuck to a blanket in the dryer. The N95 mask, which costs around $ 5, also fits securely to the face, eliminating most of the leakage that can occur with a cloth cloth or paper mask.
Studies have shown that masks significantly reduce the chances of transmitting or contracting the coronavirus. But not all masks offer the same protection. Depending on the fabric and the number of layers, homemade, simple fabric masks have an effectiveness range that can be as low as 26%, leaving the wearer vulnerable.
Some experts like Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School doctor Dr Abraar Karan have been advocating public use of N95 masks since the start of the pandemic. In an interview with CNN chief medical correspondent Dr Sanjay Gupta, Karan explained why N95s are critical at this point in the pandemic.
“If for four weeks the country basically wore these masks in these risky settings like this indoors, what kind of difference do you think it would make?” Gupta asked.
“It would stop the epidemic,” replied Karan.
The quality of protection that a face mask can provide is crucial. Respiratory disease like the coronavirus is spread through aerosols, tiny particles that float and hang in the air. Some virus-carrying particles are small enough to travel through or around inferior masks, making the carrier vulnerable to inhaling viral particles.
“We now know that aerosols spread best when there is poor ventilation, crowding and prolonged close contact,” Karan told Gupta in an interview. “So we were saying that in reality, in these contexts, the fabric masks do not block the aerosols on their own.”
Karan is not the only expert to have come out in favor of better quality masks for the general public. Former US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr Scott Gottlieb wrote in a Wall Street Journal editorial that “Encouraging Americans to wear better face masks is a simple step that could make a difference .
The biggest problem is the lack of supply. This week marked a full year for the coronavirus, and the Biden administration has pledged to invoke the Defense Production Act more often to boost manufacturing of N95 masks and other critical supplies. Experts hope that manufacturing will reach a speed sufficient to be able to supply the population sufficiently.
“A well-fitting N95 is clearly the best you can do,” National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease director Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN on Friday. “You could get production of it at a much higher rate now.”
Karan believes N95 masks could be a critical asset in reopening the economy, as vaccine rollout remains slow and quarantine fatigue soars.
“If we have better personal protection for people, they can return to work safely. They can re-engage in a safer way, especially if the testing and tracing is not where we need it, ”Karan said.
“It was going to be a way to bring people back and get the economy going.”
Some European countries are already taking this step to prevent the spread of the coronavirus within their borders. Earlier this week, Germany and France demanded that all citizens wear high-filtration masks like the N95 in all public places.
After months of treating coronavirus patients, Karan says it’s time to invest in making sure the masks people wear are even more effective. “Focus on providing the best masks to as many people as possible, focus on messaging around the masks, be consistent with your message, make the masks part of American culture to stop the epidemic.”
The key here is to always wear a mask whenever you are in public. A Lancet Digital Health study found that a 10% increase in mask wear could triple the chances of maintaining control of transmission of the virus in a community. The ability to control the spread of the coronavirus is in our hands – and on our faces.
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