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PUBLIC SERVICE – Suggestion by an Engineer-Physicist (me): Everyone should use surgical masks when going outside whenever there is a chance to meet other people – say for basic shopping. This should be done always, no matter what health authorities may say to the contrary, as many if not most of their statements are not based on scientific considerations.
Unfortunately masks are hard to come by nowadays, are expensive and, to aggravate, we are told that they should only be used for a couple of days at the most.
In the case of coronavirus, that information is simply wrong. Masks to protect us from the coronavirus can be reutilized any number of times provided that we disinfect them after every couple of days of use. How? Simply by immersing them in water at temperatures near the boiling point (100C) for a few minutes, as the virus gets completely destroyed at 60C. Then we simply pick the boiled masks by one of the elastics and hang them to dry.
Protect yourselves as this virus is very dangerous. Anyone devaluing its danger is either an ignorant or an idiot, so don’t pay attention to them.
Notes:
(1) The process that I suggest does not apply to masks made of paper, as paper dissolves in water.
(2) If you want to be very scientific, then you should use a 2-step process. First wash each mask with a water/soap solution, under running water, as the soap will destroy the outer lipid layer of the virus and the rinsing will remove any debris, and then place the rinsed masks inside a clean Pyrex recipient with water near its boiling temperature to destroy whatever of the virus may still be there.
