GST Board Member Peter de Bruyn Kops has been investigating the spread of the Corona virus
Health authorities are using a variety of mitigation strategies to slow the spread of the virus:
– Contact mapping (identifying people and places contacted by those identified with the virus)
– Social distancing (closing of events and venues to minimize contacts, avoiding crowds and travel)
– Quarantine
Click here to read an article showing the logic and impact of containment strategies.
Some countries have been more successful than others in reducing the rate of spread of the virus.
In addition to the strategies mentioned above, these countries (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan) have promoted the use of masks when in public as a barrier to transmission of the virus.
Click here to read an article on the virus containment effort in South Korea.
These countries enjoy societal expectation that sick individuals use masks in public to protect others.
In the United States, masks are primarily used by medical professionals and during construction.
So our stock of masks isn’t sufficient for general use and is limited to use by medical staff.
Board member de Bruyn Kops researched options to make masks from readily available materials.
In Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital developed a design for home made masks.
Click here to read an article on their effort in Hong Kong
We know masks prevent transmission of germs, viruses, diseases. (That’s why surgeons use them.)
If you want to make and use a mask while in public to protect yourself and others, here’s how to do so.
Posted by GST Chairman Ray Chadwick