News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Japan's PM to ask all schools to temporarily close. Parent comment

Re:Japan's PM to ask all schools to temporarily close by momentmaker on Thursday February 27, 2020 @12:45PM (#22435636)
Most masks won't filter the virus. N95 can only filter particles greater than 0.3 microns and the corona virus is around 0.16 microns.

The masks are more for stopping behavioral habits for non-infected people like touching your mouth and nose but then you could touch your eyes too...

The masks are more for the infected people who could sneeze and spread the virus particles much further than if blocked by the mask.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Japan's PM to ask all schools to temporarily close by learc83 on Thursday February 27, 2020 @01:04PM (#22435858)
>corona virus is around 0.16 microns

But virus particles aren't floating around in the air infecting people, it's spread mostly through respiratory droplets. Not saying that a surgical mask will protect you, but it's not because the virus is too small.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Japan's PM to ask all schools to temporarily close by serpix on Thursday February 27, 2020 @05:34PM (#22438694)
virus particles really are in the air infecting people.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Japan's PM to ask all schools to temporarily close by ceejayoz on Thursday February 27, 2020 @01:04PM (#22435854)
> N95 can only filter particles greater than 0.3 microns and the corona virus is around 0.16 microns.

The virus spreads in much larger drops of fluid.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Japan's PM to ask all schools to temporarily close by literallycancer on Thursday February 27, 2020 @04:57PM (#22438388)
I'm pretty sure N95 just tells you how many particles are filtered, and the sizes and for which size ranges it is more or less effective depend on the specific piece. Also, droplets are bigger than the naked virus particles and will get caught by the filter.
[ Parent | on HN ]