I highly recommend people interested in the broader area of health, culture, and environment to read McElroy, Ann, and Patricia K. Townsend, 2004 Medical Anthropology in Ecological Perspective, 4th edition, Westview Press. Dr. McElroy has worked with the Inuit, Read the rest of this entry »
Masks are frequently the first things we think of when hearing about infections or bank robbers. A mask can also be a dance or used in theatre.
But within the context of health and safety, protective masks fall within two groupings- breathing out and breathing in.
Breathing out
“Surgical Masks” are used to prevent the spread of exhaled germs. These masks help keep you from infecting others by breathing or speaking onto people. These are often the masks one sees on TV shows such as ER or in news photos about the SARS illnesses in China. In other cultures, using surgical masks is a polite way to prevent the spread of seasonal flu and colds in public places. Sneezing or coughing into a tissue (such as Kleenix® ) serves a similar purpose.
Breathing in
“Respirators” are specialized masks to prevent inhalation of particulates. They must meet certain standards to be called respirators. In the US, respirators must be “NIOSH-approved” (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health). A quick guide to respirators is included in the Pamphlet-Pueblo Crafts & Healthy Lungs
⇒ It is easy to give one’s self a false sense of security by wearing a bandanna or a dust mask instead of a NIOSH-approved respirator. Your health can be damaged as a result of using the wrong type. ⇐
