Face Masks Help Boast Immunity against Coronavirus

People infected with the deadly virus that causes "COVID-19", can spread the virus to others when they talk, sing, cough, sneeze or breathe as well.

Scientists believe that face masks are the most effective shield against "COVID-19", so wearing masks have become mandatory in many cities, states and countries across the globe to limit the spread of the deadly disease.

The mask may have another benefit, as some scientists now believe that it exposes the wearer to smaller, less harmful doses of the disease that triggers an immune response.

This not yet proven theory suggests that masks can help "vaccinate" people while they wait for an actual vaccine against the virus.

People around the world usually wear surgical or cloth masks or other covers, as a way to help prevent infected people from spreading the novel Coronavirus.

Although they do not provide full protection, they may reduce the amount of viruses that wearers inhale, according to a recent research paper published this month in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California in San Francisco, USA, told news agencies that scientists assume that the more dose (or vaccine) of the virus in your body, the more sick you are.

Gandhi, director of the UCSF-Gladstone AIDS Research Center, added that the asymptomatic infection is associated with a strong immune response from T-lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell, that may work against "COVID-19."

She continued to say that experts believe that the masks can act as a kind of bridge to the vaccine by giving us some immunity," adding that researchers are conducting several studies to try to test the theory.

This may include looking at whether mandatory face masks in certain cities have reduced the severity of the disease there.

She stressed that scientists should take a different look at the use of masks, which the health authorities initially considered unnecessary, given the shortage, and today, they are widely recommended to slow the spread of infection.

While these face coverings may not completely prevent us from contracting "COVID-19", they most likely reduce the number of virus particles we inhale, "the viral dose.

Scientists believe that a lower viral dose can reduce the severity of the disease we get.

In fact, when masking the face is applied, a much higher percentage of new cases of "COVID-19" will not show symptoms.

Although there are some skeptics about the validity of the theory that masks reduce exposure to the virus, some studies have proven their benefit, including research conducted in Hong Kong on hamsters, where scientists simulated wearing a mask by infected rodents and others.

They found that hamsters are less likely to contract the disease if they are "masked", and even if they contract the disease, their symptoms are milder.

There were also some occasional experiences in the real world.

In one case, a cruise ship that left Argentina in mid-March introduced surgical masks to everyone on board after the first sign of infection appeared.

The researchers found that 81% of those who contracted the virus did not show symptoms, compared to about 40% on other ships in which the masks were not systematically worn.

Experts claim that the Coronavirus has mutated to become more contagious, and it can adapt and wrap around barriers such as wearing masks.

The researchers warned that a prevalent strain of the "COVID-19" virus could adapt to overcome barriers such as masks and hand washing.

Experts in Houston, in the United States, have sequenced the genes of the virus since March and have recorded 5,085 sequences.

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And at the start of the pandemic, many governments advised people to adhere to social distancing rules, wash hands more often and wear face masks.

But one of the virologists claimed that the virus could start to find its way around these preventive measures.

David Morens, who works at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said the virus is becoming more transmissible.