Does a face mask protect from swine flu?

We have become a very paranoid society and feel that by covering our eyes, nose and mouth, micro-organisms cannot enter the body. During the swine flu epidemic, thousands of people were wondering on the streets wearing face masks and looking like zombies. To date, there is no evidence that face mask can protect you from swine flu.


The majority of studies on usefulness of masks are from hospitals. Health care workers generally wear face masks when dealing with infectious disorders but they also wear disposable gowns, gloves and wash hands (at least some do).

During the SARS outbreak in China in 2003, there were some studies done which showed that face masks when combined with other protective clothing did protect against the virus. However, this study was only hospital based and did not look at the general population.

In a few studies done on household members and prevention of seasonal flu, the use of face masks combined with hand washing did not reveal any significant differences. The studies showed that the virus was prevented only when combined with regular hand washing and if the mask was worn within 36 hours of acquiring the symptoms. Unfortunately in our society, the majority of people do not even wash their hands after pooping. It is very unlikely that these individuals will ever wash their hands on a regular basis.

The majority of facial masks prevent organisms from leaving your body and do not hinder organisms from getting into the nasal passage and lung. Moreover, the masks have to be changed every 60-120 minutes to retain their effectiveness because the mask pores get wet and clogged from hot breath.

So if you want to prevent swine or seasonal flu, get a carton of masks and make sure everyone in the home wears them. Finally, the masks have to be disposed off carefully to avoid infecting others.

In general masks are only useful if you have been diagnosed with swine flu and want to avoid passing it on to others or if you are caring for an individual at home with swine flu.

What basic treatments work to prevent swine flu?

Washing hands is the key to prevention of not only swine flu but many other infectious disorders. It really does not matter what type of soap is used as long as the hands are washed on a regular basis. Even though hundreds of anti septic and alcohol solutions are sold for hand washing, these are really not need. Many studies exist which show that simple soap and water are just as effective as any alcohol based solution.

Hand washing is highly recommended for individuals who work with children since children frequently acquire viruses and develop the common cold. Hand washing can prevent transmission of viral infections from children to adults,

How many times to wash the hands again is a big question. There are some who say wash the hands 10 times a day and others who say wash the hands 4 times a day. In general; wash hands any time you touch inanimate objects or use the toilet, before and after eating and in the work place. It is known that the majority of people never wash hands after using the bathroom. These are the same people who then complain about bad doctors and poor health care.

Remember hand washing is not 100 percent guarantee that you will not develop swine flu but it does reduce your chances of acquiring the infection. It is widely recommended that if all people practiced some type of basic hygiene precautions, then fewer people will be infected with swine flu or the common cold virus.

Swine flu vaccine

The swine flu vaccine was recently developed to help protect the public against swine flu. There is pandemonium about the swine flu vaccine and everyone is rushing to get it. The question is does it work?

There are several brands of the swine flu vaccine on the market but by and large they all work in the same way- increase the body’s immunity to the virus
Up until now pregnant women, the elderly and young children were first offered the vaccine as they appeared to be at a higher risk for developing complications from the virus infection. This vaccine is not meant to be a replacement for the seasonal flu vaccine and some people may need both vaccines.

Some versions the flu vaccine have to be administered twice 2-3 weeks apart but now there is evidence that a single shot of the vaccine may be enough to boost immunity
Experts say that the swine flu vaccine can reduce an individual’s chance of acquiring swine flu by 50-70 percent. While most people do develop antibodies after the vaccine, there are still some people who do get infected by the virus.

Vaccination is not a guarantee that you will be 100 % protected from the virus.
So far the vaccine has been deemed to be safe and the only side effects are burning at the injection site and mild pain. So far no major side effects have been reported after the swine flu vaccine. A few deaths have been reported but it is not known if this was from the swine flu infection or a component of the vaccine.
Beside the local side effects at the site of injection, there have been reports of headaches, swollen glands, fever and joint pain. However, all these effects are temporary and resolve in a few days

Individual who are allergic to eggs should not get the swine flu vaccine. For these individuals there is another brand of the swine flu vaccine made without the use of eggs.

There was concern that the swine flu vaccine may be a cause of temporary paralysis but experts feel that this side effect may be directly related to the infection and not the vaccine.