Masks work....COVID-19 virus evolving to 'get better' at moving through air

New mutations of COVID-19, such as the Delta strain, are "getting better" at transmitting through the air, a study has found.

People infected with a later variant of COVID-19 put 43 to 100 times more virus into the air when breathing than those who were infected with the original strains of the virus, according to the University of Maryland's School of Public Health.

The researchers also found that loose-fitting cloth and surgical masks reduced the amount of virus that gets into the air around infected people by about half.

"Our research indicates that the variants just keep getting better at travelling through the air," Professor Don Milton said, "so we must provide better ventilation and wear tight-fitting masks, in addition to vaccination, to help stop spread of the virus."

The just-released study examined the Alpha strain, which has since been displaced by the more dominant and even more highly transmissible Delta variant.

The amount of virus in the air coming from Alpha variant infections was 18-times more than could be explained by the increased amounts of virus in nasal swabs and saliva, the study found, highlighting the dangers of tiny aerosols carrying the infection.

"We know that the Delta variant circulating now is even more contagious than the Alpha variant," Dr Milton cautioned.

To test whether face masks work in blocking the virus, the study measured how much SARS-CoV-2 was breathed into the air and tested how much less virus people sick with COVID-19 exhaled into the air after putting on a cloth or surgical mask.

Face coverings significantly reduced virus-laden particles in the air around the infected person, cutting the amount by about 50 per cent, researchers found.

Unfortunately, according to the study, the loose-fitting cloth and surgical masks didn't stop infectious virus from getting into the air.

"The take-home messages from this paper are that the coronavirus can be in your exhaled breath, is getting better at being in your exhaled breath," Dr Jennifer German, a co-author of the study, said.

"Using a mask reduces the chance of you breathing it on others."

The Wuhan Laboratory  caused a massive pandemic by their  mad research of Gain in function research  and that remains the major issue,    Abnd the people invo0lved in the research are now the leaders in the massive means to run the worl according to their new rules.   

Lunatic scientists  like Faucci should be declared as the cause of the virus and punished  - not leading the fight against the virus they  helped to create,    I must admit  that breathing in the same air as you breathed out is dangerous as well,.    So effectively you have to fight spreading by doing something that is medically dangerous as well.

The Maryland study seemingly  determined   that spreading are more dangerous now because of the variants - but did they also study the effects of breathing in air that you breathed out is not causing medical problems as well.?    They seemingly identified the problem but they have not identified a real solution. I am afraid.                 

The Wuhan Laboratory  caused a massive pandemic by their  mad research of Gain in function research  and that remains the major issue,    Abnd the people invo0lved in the research are now the leaders in the massive means to run the worl according to their new rules.   

Lunatic scientists  like Faucci should be declared as the cause of the virus and punished  - not leading the fight against the virus they  helped to create,    I must admit  that breathing in the same air as you breathed out is dangerous as well,.    So effectively you have to fight spreading by doing something that is medically dangerous as well.

The Maryland study seemingly  determined   that spreading are more dangerous now because of the variants - but did they also study the effects of breathing in air that you breathed out is not causing medical problems as well.?    They seemingly identified the problem but they have not identified a real solution. I am afraid.                 

Most folks would agree with your comments but to get the people to stand up and demand action against those responsible for this pandemic is another story.

This Covid 19 virus has become the main stay of the Demorats and their social media platforms and the left.

They block or discredit any information regarding Covid 19 that does not fit their agenda and then proceed to mislead the public with fabricated information commonly know as lies.

Shame on them.

The whole world has been hoodwinked by media and what the bullshitting political and business leaders spout with corrupt medic greedy monguls backing. Some trust in mass opinion some don't , I don't trust media, propaganda but good brave intelligent thinking and challenging ethical and altruistic doctors. Not people pleasers but those that became doctors, not for money but because they genuinely care. Believe there are some that are bound by truth and honesty but they are rare.

The Covid thing is serious, so were other pandemics and world wars but it's part of life...we all die...it's definite and not a tragedy... except for the lost.

"The Great Deception"

A sensible post like this was sure to draw out the conspiracists. Masks are part of a socialist Illuminati conspiracy. (blah de blah). 

A sensible post like this was sure to draw out the conspiracists. Masks are part of a socialist Illuminati conspiracy. (blah de blah). 

Funny, reading through the responses I couldn't help think, how non topic. It's rather simple, either accept the test as a successful weapon or partially successful or reject it as a complete failure until such time as Trump comes along and gives it the A-OK.

Denny

Be fair and realize that I said fine - but there are problems with masks as well - especially breathing in the same air as you already breathed out.   The study as identified a problem that needs to be solved - but that masking has its own detrimental consequences.    So further research is necessary to find a realistic solution.    

"...but that masking has its own detrimental consequences..."

Conveniently ignored.

Oh dear.......how on topic is this..."The Great Deception"????

More on topic than you realize...

So, masks were meant to suffocate people, instead of protecting them. 
It was a co-ordinated effort by scientists around the whole world... Fauci injected them all.... Blah de blah

The happy-clappy conspiracists need to move to Afghanistan where they can meet like-minded brainwashed dummies. Together they can be smart - and reveal the truth...

If you change the order of letters in M ask, it shows as Skam. (The K is an Illuminati code for C). 

So, masks were meant to suffocate people, instead of protecting them. 
It was a co-ordinated effort by scientists around the whole world... Fauci injected them all.... Blah de blah

No idiot, but there're unintended consequences, just like with the vaccines, and the governments, media, social media and big tech are going out of their way to suppress negatives and to aggressively shout down any dissenters. We're supposed to be able to make informed decisions about our health and the safety of our families, but we are purposefully being lied to and only being told one side of the truth...how you don't see it...

The dumb religious right can't distinguish between facts and speculation, so, unfortunately, we have to remove their nonsense from the internet. 
Like Adults and children. We have to put you to bed and tell you stories about Santa Klaus and the Tooth Fairy, because you are just not mature enough to deal with reality. 

The scientific mainstream thought can easily debunk your "beliefs" and "speculation". 
However, you simpletons prefer to get scientific advice from fringe lunatics who contradict mainstream thought, or from Q members, 8chan, Christian websites, etc etc.
If your "argument" does not have any logical sense, just make up a conspiracy. 

I prefer to listen to mainstream scientific thought for the simple reason that they know the most about science, just like how a mechanic knows the most about cars (at least as a statistical average/consensus). 

It would be stupid to assume that 97% of mechanics would make a recommendation that was not safe. Or that they were part of the Illuminati etc. How would a government suppress 97% of mechanics from contradicting the "official" storyline. 

I listen to scientists  - but not  all the main stream media once.- one I would never trust  is that criminal Faucci.     He is up to his neck in trouble in funding gain of function research  in the Wuhan Lab  and is now running for cover and his ever-changing advice indicates that he does not know what is going on.    Besides that he also gets kickbacks from the  vaccine manufacturers     Why do you think they ban any inputs differing from Faucci's opinion like the true Chinese Communists they copy do .    

The mainstream media has been lying to you for 5 years and you are dumb enough not to realize that you are being misled.    Anyway I read widely about issues and do not follow the fake media that you get all your info from.  One would not call that intelligence at all - it is in fact  stupidity - it is easer to brainwash an idiot than it is to do so with an intelligent  thinking person.