Relative size of particles - photo

[schuylergrace]

I do have respect for a PhD virologist but I can't figure out why he wouldn't know that viruses can survive outside their little pool of spittle.

My brother does know that, as do I, and I tried to explain that even though there are viruses (my mistake for using the non-term "virii"--I'm an electrical engineer by trade, not a doctor or biologist) out there, you are rarely exposed to enough of them to make you sick, unless you come into contact with someone who has an active case of COVID, whether they know it or not. Again, it's a case not just of exposure, but also the amount of exposure that determines whether you are likely to become ill. Masks do cut exposure significantly, both by providing a physical barrier to slow the particles down, and by attracting those particles so they stay contained within the mask (either because they soak up the droplets or charged polypropylene electret fibers trap the particles using electrostatic or electrophoretic effects). Like anything else, masks are not perfect, but they do help. And as far as taking the pandemic seriously, there were protests against nearly every recommendation that came out of the CDC, and people still flocked to mass gatherings, like spring break and Sturgis. And worst of all, many of our "leaders" were calling the pandemic a "hoax" and advising their constituents not to follow control protocols and are still doing the same to this day. That said, I'm certain I haven't changed your mind about any of this, so I'll leave it at that and "agree to disagree."

In case anyone is interested, here's a microscopic journey into various mask materials I saw a while back and found very interesting:
https://www.nist.gov/feature-stories...der-microscope