[ad_1]
Experts warned this and another study put it on the table: the mask is one of the fundamental pillars in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is because it basically can help reduce the severity of the disease and thus ensure that a greater percentage of new infections are asymptomatic. He states this in an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine. As the experts of this work assure “if the hypothesis is confirmed, theA universal mask could help build immunity and slow the spread of the virus while waiting for a vaccine“.
Experience since March
The authors of AIDS Research Center, specialists in infectious diseases, epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, we recall how since March it has been evident that universal masking is a possible way to prevent the transmission of the ap virusasymptomatic infected people. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention universally recommended the mask in April.
Evidence that exists in relation to other respiratory viruses indicates that the mask can protect the person from infection as well thus blocking the entry of viral particles into the nose and mouth.
Epidemiological investigations suggest that there is a strong relationship between the mask and pandemic control
The epidemiological investigations that have been carried out all over the world, especially in Asian countries – accustomed to the use of masks for years – suggest that there is a strong relationship between this measure and pandemic control.
In fact, recent data from the United States show that SARS-CoV-2 has declined among healthcare professionals after expanding mask use in hospitals in late March.
Less viral load
The authors of this research recall that COVID-19 has the extension sufficient capacity to cause innumerable clinical manifestations, ranging from total absence of symptoms to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome and death.
In this way, recent virological, epidemiological and ecological data “have led to the hypothesis that the mask can reduce the severity of the disease even among people who become infected“This possibility is consistent with the theory of viral pathogenesis which holds that disease severity is proportional to the viral inoculum received. As the researchers point out, with viral infections in which the host’s immune response plays a critical role in pathogenesis. viral, a high dose of viral inoculum can deregulate the innate immune defenses, thus increasing the severity of the disease.
The mask can reduce the severity of the disease among the people they infect
In this sense, If viral inoculum is important in determining the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection, one more reason for using masks would be to reduce the viral inoculum the person is exposed to and the resulting clinical impact of the disease.. “Because the masks can filter out some droplets that contain the virus, these could reduce the inoculum that an exposed person inhales.” If this theory were confirmed, the authors point out, the mandatory use of the mask, with any type of mask that increases its acceptability and adherence, could contribute to increasing the proportion of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections.
Indeed, The CDC estimated that the typical rate of asymptomatic COVID-19 infection was 40% in mid-July, but today these rates of asymptomatic infections are over 80. percent in environments where mask use is widespread, “which provides observational evidence for this hypothesis,” they say.
These researchers recall that countries that adopted the mandatory mask performed better in terms of COVID-related serious illness and death rates, which in contexts with limited evidence suggest a shift from symptomatic to asymptomatic infections.
Two clear examples:
The authors of this research explain these results with two clear examples. On the one hand, an epidemic in a Argentina cruise, where passengers received surgical masks and staff wore N95 masks. Thus, the asymptomatic infection rate was 81%, compared to 20% in previous outbreaks on cruise ships without the use of the mask.
On the other hand, in two outbreaks occurred in the food processing plants in the United States, workers received masks every day, so the rate of asymptomatic infections among the more than 500 infected people was 95%, with only 5% in each case. Patients in this outbreak experienced mild to moderate symptoms.
The authors conclude that the death rate in countries where mask use is mandatory and widespread has remained low.
Reinfection
Likewise, the authors delve into the possibility of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. As they explain, COVID-19 reinfection appears to be rare, despite having been around the world for more than eight months. The scientific community has long been clarifying the humoral aspects e Cell-mediated adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 and seroprevalence insufficiency studies based on antibodies to estimate the level of longer-lasting memory T and B cells. That is, cellular immunity to SARS-CoV-2.
The death rate in countries where the use of masks is mandatory and widespread has remained low
I’ve been there for the past few weeks Promising data suggesting strong cell-mediated immunity can result in mild or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, “Any public health strategy that can reduce the severity of the disease should also increase the immunity of the entire population.”
In fact, to test the hypothesis of these authors that the use of a mask is one of those strategies, warn that more studies are needed to compare the rate of asymptomatic infection in areas where the use of masks is mandatory or not. “Fighting the pandemic will result in reducing both transmission rates and disease severity. Growing evidence suggests that the use of the mask in the entire population could benefit both components of the response.
Source link
