#mask research

[i-amusemyself]

Masterpost on Mask Efficacy Reseach in Covid-19

Sick of hearing that masks don’t work? Me too :)))) here’s some research studies showing that they do for next time Karen starts Karening.

(Correct as of August 2022)

A general respiratory viruses review (there are many more but that’s a post for another day):

A review of studies showing mask wearing prevents respiratory virus transmission including SARS, influenza, bird flu and Covid-19.

Wang et al., 2021 doi: 10.1002/mds3.10163

Animal models and masks with Covid-19

This study placed hamsters in separate cages and measured transmission of Covid-19 from an infected hamster to a healthy one. Surgical masks were shown to decrease infection rates.

Chan et al., 2020 doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa644

Mathematical models/simulations and masks with Covid-19

Mathematical modeling demonstrates mask ability to reduce transmission and mortality. It shows even masks of low efficacy can do this transmission rate is low or decreasing.

Eikenberry et al., 2020 doi: 10.1016/j.idm.2020.04.001

Mathematical modelling shows that higher quality face masks can protect the wearer from Covid-19, but two-way masking is better than one-way masking.

Bagheri et al., 2021 doi: 10.1073/pnas.2110117118

Researchers made a cough aerosol simulator to test how well different masks blocked the aerosol. N95 masks blocked 99%, surgical masks blocked 59%, cloth masks blocked 51% and face shields blocked only 2%.

Lindsly et al., 2021 doi: 10.1080/02786826.2020.1862409

Medical grade respirator masks are able to filter particles the size of Covid-19, while poorer quality masks are still able to filter larger aerosol particles which likely contain the virus.

Robinson et al., 2022 doi: 10.1080/02786826.2022.2042467

A model based on close-contact behaviour on the Subway showed that virus exposure could be reduced by 82% if all passengers wore surgical masks.

Liu et al, 2022 doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129233

Community settings and masks with Covid-19

A study looking back at 124 households in Beijing found that when one family member had Covid-19, risk of secondary infections within the household decreased by 79% if the infected member started masking before symptoms.

Wang et al., 2020 doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-00279

In Hong Kong, in the period studied, masking compliance was 96.6% and Covid-19 incidence was significantly lower per million people than in countries with less mask compliance.

Cheng et al., 2020 doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2020.04.024

A study of 211 Covid-19 cases and 839 controls in Thailand showed that consistent mask wearing was independently associated with reduced risk of Covid-19 infection.

Doung-ngern et al., 2020 doi: 10.3201/eid2611.203003

Introduction of mask mandates in states across the US was associated with a decline in Covid-19 infection growth rates.

Lyu and Wehby doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00818

A randomised trial in nearly 350,000 people in Bangladesh found that mask wearing significantly reduced symptomatic Covid-19 infections.

Abaluck et al., 2021

In US counties with masking mandates, daily case incidence declined by 35% in 6 weeks compared to matched counties without masking mandates.

Huang et al., 2022 doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01072

An outbreak of Covid-19 on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which carried 382 men, showed that those that wore face coverings were 70% less likely to become infected.

Payne et al., 2020 doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6923e4    

A study of mask wearing in 20 million people, alongside Covid-19 infection data from 92 regions showed that mask wearing corresponds to a 19% reduction in Covid-19 reproductive number, R.

Leech et al., 2022 doi: 10.1073/pnas.2119266119

Young children wearing masks was associated with a 13% reduction in risk of childcare program closure due to Covid-19, meaning more in-person education.

Murray et al., 2022 doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.41227

Healthcare settings and masks with Covid-19

A hospital in Massachusetts managed to decrease rates of Covid-19 infection amongst 10,000 staff with universal masking, despite increasing rates of infection in the community.

Wang et al., 2020 doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.12897

A North Carolina health provider showed that epidemiological curve of healthcare-aquired Covid-19 infections was flattened in healthcare workers following a universal masking policy. This was despite increasing community incidence.

Seidelman et al., 2020 doi: 0.1017/ice.2020.313

A study of 29 general hospitals in Israel found that hospital-acquired Covid-19 infections among healthcare workers only started to decline following a universal masking mandate for all staff, patients and visitors.

Temkin et al., 2021 doi: 10.1017/ice.2021.207.Epub

A systematic review of 13 studies in healthcare and the community found that probability of Covid-19 infection for mask wearers was 7%, compared with 52% for non-mask wearers.

Alihsan et al., 2022 doi: 10.1101/2022.07.28.22278153

Properly fitted N95 masks alongside high quality air filtration can protect from Covid-19 infection for long periods, even with high viral loads at close range.

Landry et al., 2022 doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac195

This study shows masks were able to block the exhalation of virus particles by individuals infected by Covid-19 in Brazil.

Mello et al., 2022 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264389

“But masks can harbour bacteria and fungi and give you pneumonia”

This is most likely referring to the study by Park et al., 2022 doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-15409-x 

However, if they actually read the paper they would find that:

Most fungi found were on the outside of the mask. Most fungi were opportunistic pathogens (only a danger to immunocompromised), rather than pathogenic.

Most bacteria were non-pathogenic in humans. Of the bacteria that were potentially pathogenic, most were commensal (normally found within the body) or opportunistic (don’t cause harm unless immunocompromised).

The article does not recommend against mask use, only repeated use of the same mask in immunocompromised individuals.

The paper points out that masks reduce transmission of Covid-19.

The paper points out that pathogenic bacteria and fungi are detectable on many materials we use in daily life.

And if you’re really worried about what’s on your mask:

Masks can be sterilized with steam or hot water without compromising their efficacy.

Rahman et al., 2022 doi: 10.3390/polym14071296

“But studies show that masks don’t work”

The most commonly cited evidence of this is a Danish study on the effectiveness of adding a mask mandate.

Bundgaard et al., 2021 doi: 10.7326/M20-6817

This study found that there was no significant difference in infection rates in 4000 Danes, between those recommended masks and those not recommended masks.

However, the study has many limitations which may explain why results differ from the majority of mask studies:

Infection rates reported in the study were not comparable with rates reported in the Danish population at the time.

Fewer people were infected in the masked group, but not to a level of statistical significance. The authors state that results are inconclusive, as opposed to concluding that masks provide no protection.

Only surgical masks were given to participants, which have a limited ability to protect the wearer from airborne viruses vs aerosolised viruses due to their loose fit.

The study only assessed how effectively the masks protected the wearer, not how well it reduced transmission to others.

In the group where masks were recommended, only 46% reported wearing their masks completely as recommended. I.e. more than half of this group did not always wear a mask.

The authors themselves state that the findings should not be used to conclude that mask recommendations in the community would not be effective in controlling Covid-19 spread.

“But masks make it hard to communicate!”

Data is mixed on expression recognition, but some studies show masks have no detrimental effect. Also, context and additional non-verbal cues are often not considered in studies.

A study of children aged 7-13 found that face masks did not impair ability to infer emotions.

Ruba and Pollack, 2020 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243708

Also, clear face masks are available, including clear surgical masks and clear respirators.

“But masks reduce oxygenation”

Wearing a face mask does not cause low O2 nor high CO2 at rest or during activity.

Shein et al., 2021 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247414

Gas exchange is not significantly affected by the use of surgical mask, even in subjects with severe lung impairment.

Samannan et al., 2020 doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202007-812RL                                

THAT graph that anti-maskers love to show

“Fig. 3. Correlation between Infection Rate and Annual Mask Usage generated from discarded face masks. (USA: United States of America; UK: United Kingdom)”

This graph actually comes from a paper on microplastics from face mask disposal, as opposed to anything epidemiological.

Shukla et al., 2022 doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134805

This graph does not accurately show the Annual Mask Usage (AMU) of each country to an accuracy that could ever be used in a paper with an epidemiological focus.

The authors did not account for variable mask usage in different countries and they use no real world data used on this. Instead, variation in Annual Mask Usage (AMU) is estimated by considering the population of each country in rural vs urban areas, and the presumed acceptance of masks in each area, which is constant for each country (10% in rural areas vs 80% in urban). Basically, this graph shows no accurate data on mask wearing in each country.

The authors also state that there is a correlation between AMU and infection rate. However, the country with the greatest population in the world, China, counters this trend. Equally, the data for India and Brazil, which also have a large proportion of the global population, also contradict this conclusion. This would explain why the authors never attempted to provide statistical tests to prove the correlation that they have supposedly found.

I think that about sums it up, but feel free to add more!

#at some point ill get around to a post about why you should give a fuck about not getting covid in the first place #but not rn lol #masks #mask wearing #wear a mask #masks stop covid #mask research #anti maskers #mask hesitant #antimask #antimaskers #mask masterpost #masterpost #research masterpost #information masterpost #public health #pandemic #covid-19 #coronavirus #sarscov2 #sars-cov-2 #covid pandemic #global health #long covid #psa #covid19 #covid #surgical mask #ffp2 #ffp3

[reality-detective]

Are you paying attention to who you see 👀

By 1993, the CIA had developed masks so real they couldn't be detected in face-to-face conversation.

Imagine the progress they have made over the past 30 years!

You can tell but you have to research the people and compare. 🤔

#pay attention #educate yourselves #educate yourself #knowledge is power #reeducate yourself #reeducate yourselves #think about it #think for yourselves #think for yourself #do your homework #do some research #do your own research #ask yourself questions #question everything #masks #who do you see #is it real #you decide

[subzeroparade]

The Left and Right Hands of the Divine

#bloodborne #gehrman the first hunter #laurence the first vicar #ludwig the holy blade #just been wanting to smack paint down on a canvas recently and make things as shiny as possible #not a fan of drawing hats but the choir mask is fun #oversized kitty ears but it's for ~research~ #bloodborne fanart

[puppyeared]

Why are ppl scared to call it what it is and say we’re still going thru covid on top of seasonal illness. Like. That’s pretty important right. I was watching the news and they were like oh yeah we have an unprecedented number of flu cases “as well as other sicknesses” without actually saying Covid. No announcement abt vaccinations or masking or anything. Also if I hear someone joking abt “war flashbacks” for mentioning covid I fucking hate u

#source: most of my family members are nurses and it was so bad for one of them they had to be put on a ventilator. in the hospital they #worked at. looking back I think I had a reason to feel a little offput by the shows of support early pandemic #with people tying blue ribbons around trees and lighting signs blue to support healthcare workers #I get that it was supposed to be moral support when we couldn’t do anything but follow health advisories #and it did matter to make them feel uplifted and do something than nothing. im not gonna deny that #but. you can still help now. u know that right. you still have a responsibility here #u can still mask up. u can still get vaxxed and call in sick to avoid infecting others #don’t leave it on healthcare workers to pick up the pieces just because they were doing it before. do u think they had a choice? #nobody likes picking up the slack for someone else and now that we have more tools to do smth couldn’t we just. do it???? #im not a virologist but i also feel like continuing to let it get worse by letting more mutations develop #could continue to set us back since this virus is pretty good at fucking us up long term and finding new ways to do that #while there are ppl still researching covid which is STILL A RELATIVELY NEW VIRUS. and studying possible treatment and cures #yapping #vent

[pandemic-info]

https://twitter.com/coffeeteanxiety/status/1736750299551826127 I’ll stop masking when the world’s leading researchers on Long C0vid do. Prof. Akiko Iwasaki: "I'm still wearing my 😷 everywhere." Michael Peluso, MD: "I'm very strict, actually, about 😷." Ziyad Ai-Aly, MD: "Yes, primarily because of Long C0vid. I don't want Long C0vid."

+

https://twitter.com/sri_srikrishna/status/1736460422499459115 Full of DEEP INSIGHTS ABOUT LONG COVID. At 1:01:15, panelists were asked if they continue to be covid-cautious by wearing masks 😷(even though many at infectious disease conferences no longer do), all three nodded yes with a smile 😃 and they MASK TO AVOID LONG COVID

#covid #long covid #twitter #commentary/opinion #long covid research #science #akiko iwasaki #ziyad al-aly #michael peluso #masking #winter 2023-24

[mothxart]

Lethal Company request:

Masked or employees in a snowball fight?

Or just having a good time! (Or freestyle whatever you want! I'll love it regardless!)

Snowball fight :]]

#omggoshh it took me wayy too long but im happy of how it turned out #lethal company #lethal company fanart #lethal company masked #meih’s art #also featuring some ocs! just need to put some more details and features on em and theyll be okay to be shown #shefferd oc #kadian oc #idk what to name the masked i gotta do some research

[thatdiabolicalfeminist]

Humans are very much a social species. We look to each other without even always noticing, for cues about how to interpret the world around us.

Unfortunately this often leads to people thinking stuff just isn't that serious because if it were, the people around me would be taking it seriously!

But the people around you do not always have the best view of the situation, and they can be wrong.

Some things you have to decide for yourself whether they're worth being concerned about, or worth acting on.

#thatdiabolicalfeminist #this is about covid and oppression and a hundred other things #it might be too vague to be useless idk i'm sleep deprived #but yeah i was just thinking about all the research papers about how serious covid is #and how people will be offered this information and still not mask or be concerned about getting it #because no one around them is so it can't be THAT bad

[rawliverandgoronspice]

behold: my least favorite string of words in the entirety of Tears of the Kingdom.

#totk critical #totk #tloz #gerudos #when will my brain return from the imprisoning war.... #I just stumbled upon it again doing research yesterday and.... #there's so many layers as to why it aggravates me #that it's spoken from the perspective of a masked woman as to embody all gerudos while removing her own identity #in the context of her loyalty to rauru as well #that giving birth to a bad man makes you responsible for his actions (he's not a toddler anymore he's an adult ok) #or more metaphorically that your initial conflict with hyrule makes you Sinful and cursed and you must Feel Bad Now *shame shame* #that she's passing on that ageless guilt with no expiration date onto the shoulders of *a teenager* and it's considered GOOD??? #(wind waker shaking crying right now) #ALL OF THAT to prop her up to swear her loyalty to the people planning to go murder their ancient king (sure he's a Bad but still???) #using some sort of weird ass original sin scenario that is arguably not any gerudo's fault but Ganondorf's #(or if it is then it's not shown so ???) #the vibes are so so so off I just really !!!!! don't like #this is stuff like this that makes me reject that it's a good story about alliances being formed in good faith #because this is just manipulative #maybe the alliance angle everyone's stronger together was the intention but the execution is another story entirely #gerudos never benefited from ganondorf's actions also #so it's not even a case of making reparations for the way you benefit from systemic oppression due to your ancestor's actions #gerudos won literally nothing in ganondorf's war #apparently he even subjugated them if they weren't on his side (like.... a king would.... not to excuse it but the double standard here) #so it just instrumentalizes the ageless sin of motherhood + suffering under a bad monarch billion of years ago for war #so uhhh.... yeah that's not... that's pretty bad imo #the gerudo girl could have went “hey girl this man used us and still hurt us to this day let's kick his ass once and for all” #and this would have been a different story entirely #a little cheap but not.... That Bad

[flango87]

I’m looking to compile current resources (studies and such) on Covid and long covid, so they’re all in one place and I can have the information on hand when ppl argue that covid isn’t a thing anymore, or that it’s just a flu. If you have any good resources pls send them my way!!! Ill create a master doc or something with everything so other ppl can have it too

#Covid #long covid #wear a mask #covid conscious #covid isnt over #covid studies #long Covid resources #covid resources #covid research #covid recovery

[bebemoon]

look for the name: RHION

general research extended arm top, c. 1996

yohji yamamoto back tuck skirt w/ belt in black

rick owens eyelet ski mask in black

jw anderson black leather padlock ankle boots

alexander wang large ice grey "brenda" chain bag

#rhion #name #request #outfit #hope you like ! #little king wears prada~ #if an ancient prince was a baddie in the modern era i think #it's the silhouette that matters #black #grey #silver #gray #general research #yohji yamamoto #footwear #jw anderson #rick owens #mask #balaclava #alexander wang #bag #199o's #skirt #gender neutral #queue

[burgeaux]

He's late for a convocation meeting! >_<

#ff14 #ffxiv #artists on tumblr #ffxiv azem #azem #mithaecus #idk what to tag this LOL #also if you fight me about the black mask ill kill you /j I DO MY RESEARCH!!!!!

[reality-detective]

If that 👆 doesn't tell you, this 👇 should. 🤔

#pay attention #educate yourselves #educate yourself #knowledge is power #reeducate yourself #reeducate yourselves #think for yourselves #think about it #think for yourself #do your homework #do some research #do your own research #ask yourself questions #masks #bacterial pneumonia #do not comply

[damn-right-reo]

new from Nintendo - - - - The Legend of Zelda: A Waste of Time

When Hyrule is threatened, the king must find a knight, a true hero to wield the Master Sword. In order to do so, he must consult the database of courage: LinkedIn.

#legend of zelda #link #rhoam bosphoramus hyrule #breath of the wild #a link between worlds #skyward sword #spirit tracks #twilight princess #wind waker #majoras mask #ocarina of time #a link to the past #links awakening #I definitely didn’t spend a whole week researching Zelda games #And figuring out what made each game unique #Hope y’all appreciate this

[scificrows]

Is there a 300 page essay about Murderbot's armor (specifically the opaque helmet) as a not-so-subtle metaphor for masking in a clearly neurodivergent character already? Because I need it.

The way Murderbot is unvoluntarily without its opaque armor in All System Red in front of the crew (i.e. unmasking) and appears surprised at its own strong facial expressions and other people's reaction to it? The vulnerability that comes with that and how Murderbot spends pretty much the rest of the book wearing or actively missing its armor which keeps it safe from the mortifying ordeal of being known (yet sometimes other characters suggest it might help for it to not opacify the helmet in order for others to see it as a person and to trust it (and in the end idk if it would have achieved the rewards of being loved by its humans and have had its needs met if it hadn't unmasked in this relatively safe environment sometimes)).

Also there's the whole avoiding-looking-directly-at-people-and-using-drones-instead thing which Murderbot usually hides using the opaque helmet, but whenever it doesn't have that people notice it and many react negatively/confused. I think that's a whole neurodivergent-applicable situation in and of itself? Like damn

And then Mensah encourages Murderbot not to wear armor on Preservation station since it would not need it there, Murderbot is hesitant but ends up not wearing any (like 4 books later when we finally get to that bridge) (going for the comfortable clothes it chose for itself instead, with very strong feelings about the whole being able to make choices thing that I cannot go into further at this point because I would absolutely end up BITING SOMETHING OR SOMEONE).

And I'm not going to advocate for unmasking all the time in any setting because hell no, sometimes it absolutely sucks and people are irritated by Murderbot's now visible quirks and are afraid of what they don't know, but many GET TO KNOW Murderbot better and because there are other people that make sure Murderbot is safe and respected and are willing to get people fired for it if they disrespect it (Pin-Lee my beloved) Murderbot can experiment with this situation without being exiled to some abonded part of a planet and other people are forced to spend enough time around ot to learn to respect it and even like it. I just....... It must be so scary and Murderbot is handling so much at once and in this essay I will

PS sorry this is a disorganized mess but so am I and I have so many Thoughts and even more Emotions and so little patience.

#murderbot #the murderbot diaries #all systems red #murderbot diaries #𓄿 #i sincerely hope this post isn't insensitive because i feel like the autism vibes are strong with murderbot and i am not diagnosed with tha #but i have adhd and a fun mix of anxiety and depression #and i've been deepdiving into autism research to help get one of my closest friends diagnosed (not possible at the moment) #and i relate so strongly in many ways and i dont know if its just that adhd and autism can overlap heavily #or my personal cocktail of adhd anxiety depression etc #or if i am on the spectrum somewhere myself #in any case i feel very strong solidarity and i hope i am not overstepping #but the main point here is the masking and that is DEFINITELY something ive been struggling with a lot recently #hence the strong emotions lol #i dont like to unmask. it sucks. but it can be so worth it. #and i am practicing and learning and trying my best #i feel like this fun sideblog for my scifi hyperfixations is quickly turning into a mess of therapy ramblings for myself #maybe thats because i love these books particularly BECAUSE i relate so strongly to these characters #in ways that are not NormalTM. and surprising for me #and ways that really help me figure out who i am and why dealing sith other people is so difficult for me #welp nevermind #all hail murderbot i guess

[sleepanonymous]

#sleep token #iii sleep token #iii #photography #was doing some research for an ask #and found this pic of iii #looking nearly adorable in his hellish og white mask #he's so cheekbones and chin #and neck and hands

[koukaaa-descent]

sits politely in your inbox. saw your post about jester lifecycles and wanted to ask if you have ideas for masked lifecycles. to me the dramatic masks you find as scrap used to be maskeds before, the hosts bodies simply ran out of "juice" and weren't useful anymore so the mask dropped off (the remaining corpse is scavenged by other creatures).

okay long post time!! I’m glad people like what I drag from my brain. (This is very long)

This post will cover topics such as; decay, insects (not in detail) and body horror. If you’re sensitive to things like that, I recommend looking the other way. Otherwise, enjoy however many words of my brainrot! :]

I like to think that the Masks themselves were made rather than born, albeit still organic. I’ve always been a fan of horrifying grotesque body horror scenarios. (User Pangolin-404 and their masked having webs of nerves that root inside of a host’s body, which is so fucking cool by the way, reminded me of this. I realize after writing this whole thing that my brain likes that more than expected.)

Honestly.,, I have a feeling that the masks themselves have been around for a very very long time, and new ones only ever appear when someone unfortunate is converted. There was a war (ingame lore!) roughly 500 years ago which may or may not have facilitated their creation.

In my eyes, Comedy masks are the ones that’ve naturally spawned (I.e, already with a host or otherwise lying on the ground.) I like to believe that the comedy masks are the ‘first’ of the masks to exist, which have been around since the beginning. The ‘first generation’, per se.

I also like to think that the Tragedy masks are made when someone is converted. They’re basically the supposed ‘second’ generation of masks. It goes like this; comedy masked converts someone, they become a tragedy masked. That tragedy masked converts someone else, and then, well... thus begins a cycle. (Ex. Comedy gen 1>Tragedy>TragedyG1>TragedyG2> etc etc..)

There are a relatively smaller amount of Comedy masked as a result of this, but their quantity is still very much immense. (Ex. For every 10 Tragedies, there is 7 Comedies). The reason for this is that, despite how well they can trick and capture prey, they are still oftentimes rotting and weakened from extended periods of isolation without access to new hosts. There is henceforth a greater number of Masks than there is the Masked. Comedy Masks tend to have a greater lifespan with their hosts, as they are very, very experienced and have gathered a significantly larger amount of knowledge. (They are still not entirely sentient, no matter how deeply convincing it may be. They have a measure of sentience, but not enough. This only ever occurs within Comedy Masks.)

I doubt that they ever actually die unless the mask itself is utterly destroyed, shattered or rendered otherwise unusable.

After this point is where more visceral topics are covered. However; with a host, that specific lifetime is pretty simple, I think. In the beginning, the corpse is fresh, probably still warm (and kept warm by presumably boiling blood) and likely behaves the same as any other human body. Even has a heartbeat and continues to breathe. Vocalizing is possible although usually incomprehensible (typically just a weird slurry of sounds). Finer control is possible, down to curling its toes or flexing individual muscles, along with blinking, moving its tongue, or focusing and unfocusing its eyes. (Please note; a majority of those features tend to be entirely lost during possession, either melted from the host’s body or simply consumed during the process of conversion.)

After a day or so, natural body functions begin to slowly and steadily cease as, despite the Mask’s support, the body has finally lost enough of its own blood and thus slowly shuts down. The Mask’s replacement blood—the substance rendered eternally boiling—is not a suitable replacement despite its apparent compatibility with regular humanoid blood regardless of the type. It carries too little oxygen and remains too thick to move properly through the veins without its host’s own biological assistance. Rigor mortis sets in to the majority of the body by the end of the second day, and the mask has to relearn how to use the body as it has new limitations and requires different efforts in order to move as it used to. Movements become clumsier (not just from the disorientation of change) and the fine control it once had is now unable to be achieved again without outside assistance. Vocalizations are now completely incomprehensible as the entity can no longer fine-tune the required muscles in order to produce the vaguest notion of words. (Not that it was able to speak beforehand.)

The body remains this way for about a week total before further decay begins to set in. The nature of the planet that the host was on beforehand does matter; if it was on Offense during this phase, it would proceed much faster in comparison to Dine or Rend. Temperature affects decay times. Masked typically tend to avoid hotter areas for this reason during this period of its host’s ‘lifetime’ (if it cares for or understands what is happening.)

By the third phase of its ‘lifetime’, the body begins to rot. Fortunately, no insects or decomposers infest the body; the natural heat that the Masked’s blood produces keeps anything untoward away, up to and including foreign materials, unwanted substances and undesirable parasites. Most biological poisons have no effect on Masked in general, typically being denatured on contact with its blood. Artificial poisons, venoms and other toxic substances do occasionally effect a Masked, although usually only in the region that it first made contact in. They do not have very good blood circulation.

The skin of the host cools down rather than remaining at the warm temperature it previously had, which is likely an instinctive response from the Masked as it senses the decay. By this point, points that usually chafe or experience too much friction begin to slowly rub away from the flesh and bone, scraping skin and viscera away with it. The Masked does not experience pain, only discomfort.

At the very end of its current lifetime, true rot begins. If the host is using an entirely sealed suit, blood begins to fill the inside. The corpse begins to slowly, steadily, achingly liquify. At one point it will start to drip from the helmet’s filters, pushed outward with every movement. The Masked can no longer run, as doing so will simply worsen its condition. It is now at risk of abandoning its host and awaiting the next.

If its current host is wearing an unsealed suit, flesh simply sloughs off and out of it as the body weakens. During this state, the Masked first feels pain. (It does not recognize the feeling, and does not usually react. There are cases wherein first or second generation Tragedy masks attempt to cry or otherwise vocalize with screams, keens, gasps or sobs, further obliterating their remaining throat. The third generations and those afterward display no such behaviors, however.)

At the very end of its host’s lifetime (where it is left as merely bone, softened flesh and tendon), the Mask finds a very quiet place. Oddly enough, they seek out small and warm areas, usually dry in nature. It is not uncommon for a Masked to give itself to a member of its Masquerade (a term used for groups of Masked, taken from another researcher (Pangolin-404!)) or to another entity that it has taken a liking to. Albeit, this ‘fondness’ is based upon the creature’s unwillingness to kill it, and its own lack of desire to kill the creature. Several cases have been documented wherein Masked have given themselves to a varying assortment of creatures; other Masked, Hoarding Bugs, Spore Lizards, Nutcrackers (which is a very peculiar interaction), Jesters (thought to be out of malice, seeing as Masks can devour a grown Jester if it is attached for a length of time), Coil-heads (incredibly strange), and Brackens, who occasionally partake in attaching the Masks to their bodies in return for the Mask’s boiling blood, forming a symbiotic relationship with as many as three at a time.

In the process of placing itself somewhere or giving itself to another entity, the Masked takes itself off of its host. The body remains beneath its control for a very short amount of time afterward, as its disconnected span of vein-like ‘roots’ within the body act upon its last commands. Shortly afterward, the body collapses and becomes entirely harmless, likely having placed the Mask somewhere, or having handed it to another entity.

After that, the Mask returns to dormancy, awaiting a host. (I imagine that they place themselves in a warm area as to facilitate “good dreams”. I suppose that staying in a cold, lonely place would be rather unfortunate when one is in a state of dormancy, unable to wake and move by one’s own terms. This is just a theory, however.)

Notes; 1 Masks are typically made out of a material similar to bone. Comedy Masks resemble porcelain, retaining a certain shine rather than the dull white that most Tragedy masks have. 2 Masked tend to place their Masks nearby fireplaces or Hoarder Bug hives at the end of their host’s lifetime, as they both retain a great amount of heat. 3 It is thought that the symbiotic relationship that a Mask can create with a Bracken is entirely beneficial to both parties—hence symbiosis. The Mask typically partakes in any form of possession with parasitism, and it is unknown if it chooses to leave the Bracken’s bodily functions alone because of an inability to control it or because of its supposed lack of desire to do so.

Thankyou for reading ,,, my brain likes to rattle around a lot and. I am entirely normal about the masks and I can be trusted to speak a normal amount about them. I’m like 12% sure I answered your question

#lethal company #lethal company masked #lethal company headcanons #headcanons #asks #i was writing this like damn do I have issues #but I remembered that I love body horror #i really like the idea that the masks ‘dream’ during their dormancy #sometimes I start thinking like a researcher when I write these #idk if you pick up on that just imagine it’s indigo or some random employee character writing these #the masks being living objects is so just eueshehehe I love it