Running Head: PROTECTIONS FROM DISEASE 1

Protections from Disease

Nathaniel Hunter

Department of Nursing, Youngstown State University

NURS3741: Professional Nursing 2

Ms. Randi Heasley

December 1, 2021
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Abstract

The world is full of bacteria, viruses, and other adverse conditions, which can cause disease and

problems within the human body. The key point of this paper is to discuss how wearing a mask

and vaccinations can lower the risks of disease. Risk factors for disease include bacteria, viruses,

and air pollution. Air pollution mostly affects the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, while

bacteria and viruses are much less specific on where they target.

Keywords:virus, bacteria, mask, facemask, risk factor, disease, cardiovascular

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Benefits of Masks

Wearing a mask has been both widely supported and condemned, especially in recent

history. Mask supporters say that masks help stop the spread of diseases and may even help the

wearer from contracting an infection. Diseases are contracted from bacterial or viral infections or

damage caused by air pollution. Experience in wearing masks also seems to influence one’s

decision to wear one. In fact, “Countries accustomed to universal population-level masking since

the SARS epidemic in 2003 adopted the intervention more readily,” (Gandhi, 2020, p. 1). Mask

naysayers support the idea that masks cause more harm than good. They say that masks block the

exit of carbon dioxide, they block the entrance of oxygen causing a drop in a person’s blood

oxygen level, and/or they simply do not function as protective equipment. The evidence, in the

form of academic research and medical experts, points heavily towards the support of mask

supporters, that the benefits greatly outweigh the risks. The evidence also proves wrong many of

the reasons anti-maskers refuse to wear a mask. Vaccinations are another helpful agent to combat

the danger of diseases.

The effectiveness of masks vary depending on the mask and the mask’s material.

Abhiteja Konda (2020) says “the (filtration) efficiencies improved when multiple layers were

used and when using a specific combination of different fabrics. Filtration efficiencies of the

hybrids (such as cotton–silk, cotton–chiffon, cotton–flannel) was >80% (for particles <300 nm)

and >90% (for particles >300 nm),” (p. 1). This applies to homemade cloth masks. For N95

masks and respirator filters it was found that “between <0.5% and 4.3% of the diesel aerosol,
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measured as elemental carbon, passed through the filters,” (Cherrie, 2020, p. 4). Elemental

carbon is between 15-300 nanometers in diameter, (Long, 2013, p. 6). This is right in line with

“N95 criteria (filtering ≥95% particulate)” (Cherrie, 2020, p 4). Also, the SARSCoV-2 virus is an

enveloped virus measuring roughly 100 nm in diameter, which would occasionally slip past a

properly fitted mask, but since the virus must have a “vehicle” for transmission, in this case a

respiratory droplet, the virus can rarely slip through a properly fitted mask. The smallest

respiratory droplet containing a virion of SARSCoV-2 is 27 µm, which evaporates down to 5 µm

in a few seconds, smaller droplets evaporate even quicker.

Experts worldwide have said that masks should be worn to stop the spread and acquiring

of diseases, beginning in 1918 with the Spanish Flu pandemic, the 2003 SARS epidemic, the

2009 Flu pandemic, the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic, and numerous Asian cultures have donned

masks as a protective measure against air pollution. In the most recent pandemic, experts have

continually said that masks “reduce the likelihood for an infected person to spread the disease,”

(Fischer, 2020, p. 1), which is true. All masks work much in the same way, they are all used to

stop fluid penetration. In other words, stopping respiratory droplets from a cough or sneeze, or

spittle, from exiting the mask and flowing into open air, possibly onto other people or patients.

According to medlineplus.gov “A surgical mask helps stop germs in your nose and mouth from

spreading,” and as Fischer (2020) said “surgical face masks were originally introduced to protect

surrounding persons from the wearer, such as protecting patients with open wounds against

infectious agents from the surgical team,” (p. 1). In this way, masks protect others from the user,

if the disease can spread asymptomatically such is the case for the SARSCoV-2 virus and various

influenza. Furthermore, Johnson (2009) conducted an experiment where nine patients with
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confirmed Influenza A or B , wore either a surgical mask or an N95 respirator while speaking or

coughing towards petri dishes. They found that “Surgical and N95 masks were equally effective

in preventing the spread of PCR-detectable influenza,” (p. 1), as nothing grew in any of the petri

dishes, giving credence towards mask efficacy.

As of 31 July 2020, there is significant evidence that masks also help the wearer from

getting infected from a disease or at the very least lower the “inoculum” or dose of the virus,

leading to milder symptoms or the possibility of the infected being asymptomatic. Gandhi (2020)

explains:

One of the earliest estimates of the rate of asymptomatic infection due to SARSCoV-2

was in the 20% range from a report of a COVID-19 outbreak on the Diamond Princess

cruise ship. In a more recent report from a different cruise ship outbreak, all passengers

were issued surgical masks and all staff provided N95 masks after the initial case of

COVID-19 on the ship was detected. In this closed setting with masking, where 128 of

217 passengers and staff eventually tested positive for SARSCoV-2 via RT-PCR, the

majority of infected patients on the ship (81%) remained asymptomatic, compared with

18% in the cruise ship outbreak without masking, (p. 2).

Gandhi’s analysis of these two situations helps shed light that masks help the user, along with

protecting others. Numerous bacteria and viruses cause diseases that can cause long term

damage, such as SARSCoV-2, leading to other diseases. An example is SARSCoV-2 causing

long term lung scarring causing COPD. So, if the person that becomes infected is asymptomatic

then they avoid the risk of the long term damage that would cause further diseases.
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Bacteria and viruses are not the only causes of diseases within the human body. Pollution

is another risk factor for “cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and is associated with

increased blood pressure, reduced heart rate variability, endothelial dysfunction and myocardial

ischaemia,” (Langrish, 2009, p.1). In Langrish’s experiment, fifteen volunteers took a two hour

walk through the center of Beijing, China with a mask and without a mask to accurately describe

the short term effects of air pollution to various cardiovascular sections. It was determined that,

when volunteers wore a facemask, systolic blood pressure was lower and heart rate variability

increased. Although heart rate remained roughly the same between wearing and not wearing a

mask. In another experiment conducted by Langrish three years later, 98 patients with coronary

heart disease walked on a predefined route in central Beijing, China once when wearing a mask

and another without wearing a mask. It was discovered that mean arterial pressure was lower

when wearing the mask, and like the previous experiment, heart rate variability increased. So,

Langrish concluded “Reducing personal exposure to air pollution using a highly efficient face

mask appeared to reduce symptoms and improve a range of cardiovascular health measures in

patients with coronary heart disease,” (2012, p1). As shown, wearing a mask in areas with heavy

particulate matter in the air can reduce the risk of and symptoms of various cardiovascular

diseases, such as coronary heart disease and hypertension. A huge downside to wearing a mask

to combat the inhalation of air pollution is the trait of leakage in poorly fitted masks. According

to Cherrie (2020) “Many commercially available face masks may not provide adequate

protection, primarily due to poor facial fit,” (p. 1). Furthermore, “gaps (as caused by an improper

fit of the mask) can result in over a 60% decrease in the filtration efficiency,” (Konda, 2020, p.1).
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Thus, to be truly 100% protected against particulate matter in air pollution one would need an

N95 mask or higher and ensure a proper fit to avoid leakage.

As shown above, masks work to lessen the chance of diseases, but innumerable people

still challenge the efficacy of masks. A prominent argument is that masks block the exit of

carbon dioxide (CO2) causing people to breathe it back in. Excessive amounts of CO2 in one’s

system can cause blood acidosis. So, this raises the question: “do masks also cause diseases?”

The answer is simply no. CO2 has a diameter of 0.33nm (Howard, 2020, p.1). There is no mask

in existence that can block a molecule that small and even if there was a mask that could block

such small particles, then it would be impossible to breathe in as oxygen’s diameter is 0.073 nm

(princeton.edu). It is said, though, that an N95 may lower the supply of oxygen one inhales when

worn for extended periods of time (one hour or more), (Godoy, 2020, p.1). When it comes to a

3-layered nonmedical mask, evidence supports peripheral capillary oxygen saturation has no

significant change when measured before, during, and after mask use. Chan states “The pooled

mean Spo2 was 96.1% before, 96.5% while, and 96.3% after wearing the mask,” and “None of

the participants’ Spo2 fell below 92% while wearing masks,” (p.1) These findings are only

significant for people with underlying conditions of significant breathing problems, such as

COPD or emphysema, as those diseases already cause shortness of breath and limit oxygen

intake. So, the argument against masks falls apart in the face of facts and research.

Vaccines are another tool used in the defense against disease. Vaccines or the idea of

them have been used since at least 1000 CE, starting with “the Chinese employed smallpox

inoculation,” (historyofvaccines.org p.1). According to Sabra Klein, those who receive a Covid-

19 vaccination after an infection “...benefit significantly from vaccination. It gives them a strong,
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lasting immunity boost,” (jhu.edu p.1). Klein also says “Immunity from natural infection starts to

decline after 6 to 8 months. We know that fully vaccinated people still have good immunity after

a year—and probably longer,” (p.1). Furthermore, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia says

that there are pros and cons to natural infection versus vaccination. Natural infection requires

less doses for optimal protection, but “The price paid for immunity after natural infection might

be pneumonia from chickenpox, intellectual disability from Haemophilus influenzae type b

(Hib), pneumonia from pneumococcus, birth defects from rubella, liver cancer from hepatitis B

virus, or death from measles,” (p.1). These statements show that vaccinations are generally better

than natural infection. Vaccines cause less comorbidities than natural infection and in some

cases, creates a longer lasting immunity.

Wearing a mask has been both widely supported and condemned, especially in recent

history. Mask supporters say that masks help stop the spread of diseases and may even help the

wearer from contracting an infection. Diseases are contracted from bacterial or viral infections or

damage caused by air pollution. Experience in wearing masks also seems to influence one’s

decision to wear one. Mask deniers support the idea that masks cause more harm than good

saying that masks block the exit of carbon dioxide, they block the entrance of oxygen, and/or

they simply do not function as protective equipment. The evidence, in the form of academic

research and medical experts, points heavily towards that the benefits of masks greatly outweigh

the risks. The evidence also throws support behind vaccinations being a viable and better option

for immunity than natural immunity.

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