MIAMI — If the news about the president's diagnosis has you feeling a little anxious, you're not alone.
That's why facts matter now more than ever.
10 Tampa Bay talked to some of the top scientists in the state about the critical role of face masks and physical distance.
"Masks are an incredibly important way of blocking a respiratory virus," said Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease expert and Florida International University who consults Miami-area leaders on reopening strategies.
The experts here in Florida and across the world continually tell us there are three simple things you can control: wearing a mask, keeping your distance from others, and washing your hands.
Dr. Marty explained, "It actually keeps that pathogen from entering your body in large enough quantities so that your body can't handle it and ends up getting sick."
Keep in mind, the mask alone is not enough. The physical distance between yourself and those outside your household is just as critical. Two Florida Atlantic University professors, Dr. Manhar Dhanak and Dr. Sid Verma came up with a way to actually show us how effective a face mask is at preventing droplets from traveling. They used a laser light and synthetic fog.
You can watch the simulations in this video:
"Masks are not fool proof. Our studies show that there tends to be a lot of leakage if the fit is not very good," said Dr. Verma
However, the two scientists found that when no mask is worn, droplets from a cough can linger in the still air for minutes and reach 12 feet in 90 seconds.
The difference between not wearing a mask and wearing a sewn, homemade mask is huge.
"It's a very good line of defense that we have," added Dr. Dhanak.
Verma and Dhanak are working on a study that illustrates how the mask works defensively as well as it protects droplets from reaching you. They hope to release the visualization in two to three weeks.
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