Two weeks ago a number of airline CEOs testified on Capitol Hill and argued continued masking on airplanes serves little purpose given they are outfitted with high tech air filtration systems.
"The quality of the air, the statistics I recall 99.97 percent of airborne pathogens are captured by the HEPA filtering system and is turned over every two or three minutes. We use UT Southwestern and Stanford school of medicine. I think the case is very strong that masks don't add much if anything in the air cabin environment. It's very safe, very high quality compared to any other indoor setting," Southwest CEO Gary Kelly recently told the Senate Commerce Committee.
Southwest Airlines CEO on masks:
— The First (@TheFirstonTV) December 16, 2021
"Masks don't add much, if anything." pic.twitter.com/WeTkYGlRS3
A recent piece in NPR admitted cloth and surgical masks do little to stop Wuhan coronavirus from spreading.
With another coronavirus variant racing across the U.S., once again health authorities are urging people to mask up indoors. Yes, you've heard it all before. But given how contagious omicron is, experts say, it's seriously time to upgrade to an N95 or similar high-filtration respirator when you're in public indoor spaces.
"Cloth masks are not going to cut it with omicron," says Linsey Marr, a researcher at Virginia Tech who studies how viruses transmit in the air.
If you're still using a cloth mask, it's time to up your game. Experts say to block omicron, you should upgrade to an N95 or similar high-filtration mask.
— NPR (@NPR) December 23, 2021
Here's how to find a good one — and when to wear it.https://t.co/UpfUTTdcRG
Regardless, Dr. Anthony Fauci is calling for masking on airplanes forever and is threatening to bar unvaccinated Americans from air travel.
FAUCI ON MASKS ON PLANES: "We wanna make sure people keep their masks on. I think the idea of taking masks off, in my mind, is really not something we should even be considering." pic.twitter.com/Vr2Q7Np74v
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) December 26, 2021