More COVID Ideas

To the Editor:

Unfortunately, we're not getting dependable COVID guidance from our federal agencies. Politics aside, we need accurate information. Then, we can make decisions that are best for ourselves, our families, and our community.

I'm trained as a scientist. I worked for Harvard Medical School in the `70s developing instruments to monitor heart disease, as part of the 20-year Framingham study on exercise and heart health. I'm not a public health or infectious disease expert, but I read the scientific literature directly, and with a critical eye. Here's what I've gleaned: Masks work. There's proof. Some work better than others. A good mask will protect you, not just the people around you. If you're exposed, a good mask will reduce your intake of virus and give your body more time to mount a defense. If you're infected, you'll have a milder case.

Tight-fitting, N95 masks are best, but still in short supply. Three-layer masks are next best, with dense-cotton — non-woven, melt-blown, polypropylene — cotton-polyester. Two-layer masks with two different, densely-woven fabrics are OK. Some masks have nano-particles, copper, silver, etc.., but long-term effects are unknown. Thin fabrics, like bandanas, don't work. A tight fit is critical. Air that flows around the edges is not filtered.

If someone's infected, indoor air will fill with the virus. Humidity is critical. The virus loves low humidity; your nose and air-passages hate it. Our first lines of defense are moist air-passages coated with thin layers of mucus that catch the virus before it can infect us. Dry noses open us for infection.

Indoors, filter and humidify the air. Install furnace filters (Filtrete-1900, MERV-13), room humidifiers, and portable HEPA air purifiers. If you have guests, place the purifiers around the room within six feet of your guests and catch the virus before it spreads.

Marvin Keshner

Sonora