| Photo illustration by Max Posner | NPR
July 2, 2020
How to choose and properly wear a face mask | |
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Good morning. Today, a news update with some tips that'll become immediately useful in your life. But first, weather.
Sunny and hot. Twin Cities start with patchy fog before highs in the lower 90s with head indices around 99. Statewide, highs near 90. More on Updraft | Forecast
Any mask is good, but fabric, fit and breathability are key. Experts say the fit should be snug with a tight weave on the fabric so that particles can't get through. To check your fabric, hold it up to a light and if you can see individual fibers, it's not a good filter. However, if you can't breathe through it, that's no good either. Perhaps the best bet is a thick, 100 percent cotton weave.
Layers are your friend. Research shows that more layers means a mask is more effective at blocking particles. One option is a two-layer fabric mask with a pocket where you can put a filter. And the best filter is polypropylene, a plastic that you can buy under the brand name Oly-Fun. On top of it being a physical filter, polypropylene uses static electricity and can make incoming or outgoing droplets cling to it.
Mask shape and cleanliness matter, too, and you'll want to avoid any masks with exhalation valves. Check out NPR's guide for more tips, including how to spot a fake medical mask.
A deadly inflammatory condition believed to be related to COVID-19 has been confirmed in 13 Minnesota children. While multi-system inflammatory syndrome hasn’t killed a Minnesota child, it sent eight of them to intensive care and has proven deadly in New York. All the Minnesota cases had been exposed to COVID-19 and 11 of them showed evidence of the virus. The children developed symptoms between mid-May and mid-June; their average age was 5, and most had no prior medical problems.
Brace for COVID-19 to be here for a while, says the state epidemiologist. Dr. Ruth Lynfield says that even when Minnesota gets a "herd immunity," research shows that immunity is not going to be as long-lasting as, say, measles. Immunity “may last for a period of months to a couple of years ,” Lynfield said. “We will have to learn more about this. It does mean that this virus is going to be with us for awhile. I know everybody is sick and tired of preventive measures and want to get back to normal, but it’s going to be awhile.”
Here are the latest coronavirus statistics:
36,716 cases confirmed (426 new) via 617,107 tests1,445 deaths (4 new)4,081 cases requiring hospitalization260 people remain hospitalized; 125 in intensive care31,947 patients no longer needing isolation
— Cody Nelson , MPR News | @codyleenelson |
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