Why do I need a mask anyway?!

DISCLAIMER: A mask is no excuse to ignore social distancing! It is meant to protect you if you HAVE to go outside. Don't fall victim to a false sense of security and run around willy nilly.

Please stay stafe, everybody! :3

If you don't care about my research jump to the next step right away

See how the mask is curved to encase the nose and chin?

If you look at it from the top you can see the curve for the nose and cheeks

And from this angle you can see the nose curvature and nose padding even better

For Comparison: This is a FFP2 mask. See how it is shaped to hug your nose and cheeks?

If you look at it from the top you see the wire to tighten it around your nose bridge and that it is curves outwards to encase your nose all the way down to your chin

If you look at if from the inside you can see that it has this little spongy rectangle to ensure airtightness

But why do you need a mask in the first place? There is evidence that breathing in the virus and thus transporting it directly to your lungs makes for a far worse disease progression! Normally you would touch something tainted and transfer the virus to your face. The virus then starts multiplying in your throat* (and your body simultaniously starts producing antibodies) when the virus finally reaches your lungs (and you start to cough - and think uhh this might be Corona) you are already somewhat prepared by your antibodies. But if you breath the virus in your body has no chance to prepare. Source: there is a great podcast by the leading specialist in Germany's best clinic (Berliner Charité). Unfortunately it's only available in German. Here is an english article concerning aerosol transmission.
Additional thought: It also stops you from spreading the virus in case you just don't know about your infection yet. And it is a physical barrier between your mouth and your hands - even if you try to touch your lower face, it's just not possible.
* Viruses multiplying in your throat also means that people don't necessarily have to cough to spread the virus. Talking (or even breathing out) is enough to emit the virus.

There is scientific proof that any mask is better than no mask at all. Even a tea towel around your lower face is better than nothing! It doesn't matter that a home made mask is not perfect, it's still better than nothing. And if you make a proper mask (instead of knotting a dish towel around your face) the fit is much better and therefore even more effective. If you want more in depth information please read this paper: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440799/

Here is a list of how different materials perform in comparison to surgical masks:
1.)Surgical Masks (97% of particles filtered out)
2.)Vakuum cleaner bags (95%)
3.)Tea Towel (83%)
4.)Cotton blend T-shirt (74%)
5.)100% Cotton T-shirt (69%)
6.)Antimicrobial pillow case (65%)
7.)Scarf (62%)
8.)Normal Pillow case (62%)
9.)Linen (60%)
10.) Silk (58%)

For Particles 5 times smaller than Corona Virus:
1)Surgical Mask (89%)
2)Vacuum cleaner bag (86%)
3)Dish Towel (73%)
4) Cotton blend T-shirt (70%)
5)Antimicrobial pillow case (68%)
6) Linen (62%)
7)Normal pillow case (57%)
8) Silk (54%)
9)Cotton T-shirt (51%)
10.) Scarf (49%)

Source: https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/best-materials-make-diy-face-mask-virus/

Interestingly there is no significant benefit in doubling the layers
Source: https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/best-materials-make-diy-face-mask-virus/
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/18/homemade-masks-in-a-time-of-shortage/

For full disclosure: You need a lot of layers to elevate a cotton T-shirt from 69% filtration to 95%! 8 Layers to be specific - its quite difficult to breath through so many layers and this system is meant for emergency situations for soldiers. So not really usable for our purposes. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3373043/

If you want details for breathability: https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/best-materials-make-diy-face-mask-virus/

In conclusion: A filter made from a vacuum cleaner bag is a surprisingly good substitute for a (currently mostly unavailable) commercial mask. Also, it is surely best to leave the surgical masks for the medical professionals who need them more. I for my part can make do with a substitute for my very infrequent trips to the supermarket. Please don't take these articles as an excuse to hoard surgical masks..

Why do you need this specific mask design (instead of just any old rectangle of fabric knotted around your face)?
The fit of this mask is better around your nose, cheeks and chin. The usual weak point for a mask is the nose - this point of entry is especially well protected in this design. You have both a wire to keep the fabric close to your nose as well as a nose pad made of stretchy material to mold perfectly to your nose shape. Furthermore the design is curved so that it will hug your chin and cheeks tightly for optimal protection. I am not claiming it is in anyway shape or form a FFP mask! This is just a last resort if you don't have access to them!


NEXT STEP: I prepared a handy flow chart to make choosing your design based on what you have at home super easy! Read: Which mask design is for me? next.

Credits: A huge thank you to my boyfriend for helping me dig up all those resources! I couldn't have done it without him (or at least not in that speed).