Covering the coronavirus 24/7 seems like overkill, but there are some good people out there doing awesome work to make sure we all stay safe.
By now, you may have seen memes, videos, and other social media posts about how to prevent getting sick.
Leora Horwitz is a medical professional who took it upon herself to share what she knows about N95 masks. Horwitz began with how to make sure you can use them correctly.
Non medical friends, let’s have a chat about masks. So, you’ve bought yourself a box of N95 masks and you think you’re good for #COVID19. Let me tell you what my hospital makes me do EVERY YEAR to make sure my N95 mask fits (yes, they come in sizes). Watch out: long thread ahead!
— Leora Horwitz (@leorahorwitzmd) March 4, 2020
An easy test follows.
First, I have to put the right size mask on and have a big plastic hood put over my head. Aspartame is sprayed into the hood. If I can taste it, I fail the test. Then… /2
— Leora Horwitz (@leorahorwitzmd) March 4, 2020
The test then gets more interesting.
I have to crouch to the ground and stand up several times while aspartame is sprayed in. If I taste it, I fail. Then… /5
— Leora Horwitz (@leorahorwitzmd) March 4, 2020
There’s also a reading portion in this exam.
I have to read a ridiculous paragraph out loud about the science of rainbows and the pot of gold at the end or some such. It is hard to do this without laughing. But if I taste the aspartame… you get the idea. Then… /6
— Leora Horwitz (@leorahorwitzmd) March 4, 2020
Then, she must remove the mask properly.
I have to take the mask off while demonstrating proper procedure not to accidentally contaminate myself. If I don’t do this correctly, I fail the test. This, my friends, is much harder than it sounds. (But wait, it’s not over yet!) Then… /7
— Leora Horwitz (@leorahorwitzmd) March 4, 2020
And once again, she has to conduct the test in a different way.
I get the aspartame sprayed in the hood again, without the mask. This time if I DON’T taste it, I fail (to make sure I don’t have some weird genetic immunity to tasting artificial sweetener). After all this, the hospital staff agrees that yes, I am still a size small… /8
— Leora Horwitz (@leorahorwitzmd) March 4, 2020
It’s also possible to mess things up if you don’t know how to properly remove the mask.
I guarantee you that a) your mask doesn’t fit properly b) you have no idea how to put it on and take it off safely and c) you are probably putting yourself at more risk by messing with it. Which, whatever, it’s a free country. But here’s the thing. /9
— Leora Horwitz (@leorahorwitzmd) March 4, 2020
Non-medical folks are also discouraged from buying these for an important reason.
I also guarantee you that your purchase of this mask, which is useless to you, restricts supply for frontline healthcare workers. Every hospital is facing shortages. I suspect most are rationing already. The FDA been forced to allow emergency use of construction N95s. /10
— Leora Horwitz (@leorahorwitzmd) March 4, 2020
Heed her warning!
If you want there to be enough equipment at least in the short term for people who you may need to stay healthy to take care of you, *stop buying the masks.* So, what are masks good for?
/11— Leora Horwitz (@leorahorwitzmd) March 4, 2020
If you’re not sick, these masks can’t help you.
Regular surgical masks are great for people who are sick. Stops them spreading disease by coughing far. (You should stop buying those too btw; they don’t keep viruses out so they don’t keep you safe, and I promise you don’t know how to take them off safely either.) /12
— Leora Horwitz (@leorahorwitzmd) March 4, 2020
Here’s what these masks are truly for, and who they’re truly for.
N95s keep healthcare workers safe who are in prolonged close proximity to people who are definitely sick and who are putting large amounts of virus in the air right next to them. They are also good for stopping us from getting you sick if we have caught it. That’s it. /The End.
— Leora Horwitz (@leorahorwitzmd) March 4, 2020
She also explained that even those in the medical community have difficulty properly using these masks.
Incidentally even healthcare workers have trouble using personal protective equipment correctly. Here's a lovely article in @JAMAInternalMed about reasons why by @Sarahlkrein & colleagues for which I wrote an accompanying editorial (next tweet) https://t.co/Dc6sw5JI0t
— Leora Horwitz (@leorahorwitzmd) March 4, 2020
She even provided another helpful link.
@JAMAInternalMed https://t.co/bSVMJD3owH
— Leora Horwitz (@leorahorwitzmd) March 4, 2020
Auto repair workers also need these masks!
They do the same fit tests in the Auto repair industry for Asbestos, dust and debris contaminates that get airborn during repairs. We are nearly out of masks to protect our employees as well.
— Mike Bjan (@3L5clay) March 12, 2020
Thankfully most people understood Dr. Horwitz’s point. Thanks to her thread we now know there’s a proper way to put on these masks.
Removing them safely is equally important! Though it’s tempting to hoard supplies, it helps if we only stick to purchases we truly need.
Did you learn anything useful from this thread? Feel free to share why or why not.
The comments section is there for just that!
The post A Doctor Explains What You Need to Know About N95 Masks appeared first on UberFacts.