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In 2020, under the unprecedented global epidemic, mankind has developed a strong bond with masks as never before. This kind of special medical supplies, which were originally used by only a few people, have suddenly become a necessity in the daily lives of the public. It can even be said that masks are one of the most powerful weapons in the fight against COVID-19.
How did such a simple and lightweight mask come about?
Patch of cloth to beak: blocking odor
Many diseases spread in Europe in the Middle Ages. Renaissance paintings depict people covering their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs to prevent illness.
In 1720, at the height of the plague outbreak in Marseille, France, approximately 100,000 people died in the entire city and surrounding areas. When the gravedigger buries the dead, he must wrap his face tightly with a cloth to protect himself.
In fact, the plague is spread through fleas on rats, so wearing this kind of cloth mask is of no use. However, people at the time believed that the plague was spread through the air through the stench of corruption, so their behavior was reasonable.
Because it was too inconvenient to wrap the mouth and nose with cloth, people specially invented a beak-like mask for doctors. This was probably the original mask.
Bird's mouth mask in the 17th century
This kind of bird's mouth mask is actually a face mask. There are two glass openings for the eyes on the mask, and the mouth is curved into a beak shape. There are two small nostrils at the front for gas to enter and exit. Why is there such a long beak?
Because it is filled with spices, dried flowers, mint and other substances, after the doctor puts on the mask, the air he breathes is fragrant. In the eyes of people at the time, this was the stuff that caused the disease. Filtered out.
Although the protective ability of the bird's beak mask is basically zero, this outfit also has something to learn from. In addition to wearing the bird's beak mask, doctors also wear protective gear such as gowns, hats and gloves to avoid When it comes to contacting patients, these methods still have merit.
1721 engraving, plague doctor and beak mask
Mask during surgery: blocking saliva
After the 1870s, scientists gradually became aware of bacteria existence. With the development of modern microbiology, the original view that odor spreads diseases has been gradually abandoned.
In the 1890s, German bacteriologist Karl Früegel proposed that tuberculosis was spread through the air through droplets.
Based on the idea that saliva droplets are likely to spread disease, surgeons first wore masks in 1897.
German bacteriologist Karl Fluegel
In fact, the protective capabilities of these masks are not strong. They just hang loosely on the face, and bacteria and virus particles can still enter from the sides.
However, the purpose of doctors wearing these masks is not to protect themselves. They are worried that droplets from talking, coughing, and sneezing during surgery will enter the patient's wounds.
This type of surgical mask was gradually promoted in various places, but their use was very limited, limited to surgical operating rooms, and their role was seriously underestimated until the autumn of 1910, when a terrible plague swept across Northeast China.
On the operating table in the 1900s, only the two surgeons wore masks
The first time they showed their talents in epidemic prevention
The plague broke out in the Northeast. It was like the end of the world. Within a day or two of the first symptoms, patients would die, and the plague killed almost everyone it infected. The most terrible thing is that people did not even know how the disease spread.
A doctor named Wu Liande was hired to lead the epidemic prevention work. He studied as a doctor at Cambridge University, but his resume pales in comparison to the doctors around the world who are concerned about this plague.
After investigation and research, he boldly proposed a new point of view: this plague was not spread by fleas, but by the air.
Wu Liande
According to this point of view, Wu Liande remembered the surgical masks he had seen in American operating rooms, so he made a similar but better strong and durable version using gauze and cotton. . This invention is an important breakthrough and the protective capabilities of masks are greatly enhanced.
However, many people doubted his view at the time: Because the plague used to be spread by fleas, how could it suddenly become airborne?
A French doctor named Grad Mesny strongly denied Wu Liande's statement. In order to prove that Wu Liande's mask was useless, he went directly to the plague hospital to visit sick patients without protective equipment. As a result, he died of the infection two days later.
Wu Liande’s masks have been proven effective both clinically and experimentally. In early 1911, the production of masks increased significantly, successfully preventing the spread of the plague, and Wu Liande soon became a hero reported by international newspapers.
Because masks are a very new thing to the public, and photos of wearing masks have a strong ability to attract attention when published in black and white newspapers. This kind of viral reporting and publicity, It also unexpectedly made the mask a symbol of modern medicine.
Soon after, the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic caused people to wear masks, further promoting masks.
In 1911, medical workers in the Northeast
The birth of N95
However, scientists soon discovered that the protective ability of this cloth mask was still there Room for improvement. In 1972, 3M developed the first N95 mask. The predecessor of 3M Company was actually a mining company.
The reason why it actively develops protective masks is because mining workers also need masks for protection, which can reduce the occurrence of occupational powdery lung disease. And N95 means these masks are able to filter out at least 95% of airborne particles.
N95 Mask
What exactly is the design of N95 mask? Under a microscope, you can see that there are many slender and dense fibers with some gaps in the middle to allow air to circulate.
When particles are sucked into the mask, they are attracted to the fibers of the mask due to static electricity. The longer the mask is worn, the better its filtration capabilities are because the fibers capture more particles and absorb more of them.
However, over time, the spaces between the fibers become smaller and smaller, making breathing more difficult. This is why N95 masks are best not to be worn for more than eight hours at a time.
N95 nanofibers and size comparison of various objects
In addition to making it difficult to breathe, N95 actually has other shortcomings: its design does not fit well It is suitable for children's faces and the sealing effect is also poor if the wearer has a beard. Moreover, the N95 masks used in high-risk operating rooms do not have breathing valves, so the masks will become hot when worn.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, N95 masks have once again entered the international spotlight. Thousands of scientists are studying how to better improve N95 masks at this moment. Perhaps in the near future, we can witness the upgrade of masks again.
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