Peanuts, Woodsmoke, and Viruses

A friend recently shared a post to social media pointing out that exposure to peanuts can cause extreme harm (even death) to kids at school. As such, schools tend to have rules in place that prohibit anyone from bringing peanut products into that environment. This ensures that schools are “peanut-free zones” and those young students can learn without fear of illness.

The post went on to say that parents willingly participate in this community effort to protect the kids who may be at risk. The message encouraged parents to be thoughtful, compassionate citizens so that their children could, in turn, learn to be kind and compassionate citizens. The post ended with “Agree or disagree, but it’s the same thing [as wearing a mask.]”

Several thoughts went through my head, but I decided the best response would be to tell you about my stove.

I have a wood stove in my basement. It heats my house for most of the winter. Once a week we let the fire die out and cool down so we that can remove the ashes.  And once the box has been emptied, we start it back up again from scratch. Most of us in the house are used to doing this and understand what is needed to get it going quickly and efficiently. But every so often we get a little too sure of ourselves and think we can start it without as much paper or wood kindling as usual. Our pride takes over and we think we can coax that small flame to consume a cold log with just a couple small sticks and a piece of paper. Inevitably, we find ourselves watching the fire die out, while a growing cloud of smoke works its way through the tiny gaps in the seal of the door.

In another moment or two, with the smoke detector screaming to us the blatantly obvious fact that our entire basement is filling with smoke, we open our windows and point a fan at those windows, hoping to force that smoke outside as quickly as possible so we can breathe again.  My asthmatic daughter avoids the room, hoping to keep her lungs clear and exchanging air, as designed. It takes a while for the smoke to dissipate but eventually it does and we can breathe in that room again.

I continue to be amazed that smoke can get through those tiny spaces in the seal of the door and fill my entire basement so quickly.

And I think that reveals the truth of how masks work -  They form a physical barrier in front of the face. They are designed to keep debris/droplets from entering or leaving the facial area. But unless a person is wearing a perfectly fitted and sealed respirator (more on that below), there are leaks much bigger than the leaks in my wood stove. And that person is breathing aerosols in and out a lot more consistently than the smoldering fire in my wood stove.

Now imagine that each child in a classroom is like my wood stove with a sealed door, and that instead of smoke leaking out, it is a virus.  Are those children protected from that virus? Unless they are protecting themselves by wearing a properly fitted respirator, I can assure you that the virus is getting into their lungs in the air they are breathing.

Water vapour escaping from a properly worn N95 mask.

Back to the peanut allergy - If there was a device that a person with a peanut allergy could wear to ensure they weren’t exposed to peanuts, wouldn’t they wear it?

 Believe it or not, there are devices that people can wear to ensure they are not exposed to this virus (properly fitted respirators that can filter particles 0.1 microns in size), but very few are wearing them. Why are parents not choosing to send their children with these?

(And for the sake of clarification, I feel that it’s best to point out that a properly fitted and properly functioning respirator has gone through safety checks, is properly fitted to the wearer’s face at all times, is regularly inspected for degradation to the seal, is placed on the wearer by someone with proper training, and is worn by someone with proper training.)

Am I advocating for all children in schools to wear properly fitted and properly functioning respirators? Not at all. But if a parent has legitimate concerns for their child's health, any self-respecting school and/or health system would certainly allow for that safety measure to be put in place to protect that specific child.

In the meantime, let's stop pretending that masks are an effective means of protecting us or others from the Sars-CoV-2 virus.

Screenshot of properly worn N95 respirator taken from TikTok user @chadroyvermont's video.

For more information on how masks, respirators, and other safety measures should or should not be employed to protect oneself from small particles and viruses, check out this interview with Industrial Hazards specialist Stephen Petty.

Disclaimer: I am not an Industrial Hazards specialist, nor am I an Epidemiologist, Virologist, or any other kind of professional-ologist who has special knowledge of how to keep you safe from any particular dangers.  I'm just a Mom with a wood stove.