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The term “female gaze” has been used in recent years to describe art that subverts the male perspective. The concept is seen as a response to Laura Mulvey’s 1975 essay about the so-called “male gaze”. Historically, this has been the dominant way of viewing art forms, with the male creator and male characters catering to male viewers. The rest of the characters often exist mainly to serve the male lead, his interests and his story. As a result, women have often been objectified or ignored, with their characters oversimplified.

Why has this happened?

Well, men are overrepresented in the film industry, so over the years most lead characters have been male. Even as recently as 2018, just 24% of protagonists in the 100 highest grossing films were female. To compound that issue, they’re generally surrounded by elements which appeal to male audiences. The female perspective has traditionally been suppressed. So when a female filmmaker, for example, brings a different viewpoint, we talk about the female gaze. Phil de Semlyen, global film editor at Time Out said: “I find the female gaze easier to define in terms of what it isn’t than what it is: it’s not about objectifying the female form or replacing fully-realised female characters with loose avatars for male sexual fantasy; it’s not framing sex scenes with tropes common to pornography aimed at men; it’s not about automatically relinquishing power and control to men in storytelling.”

Is it about reversing the roles and objectifying men rather than women? Or is it more complicated? What are some examples of female gaze films then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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Like a lot of things, the concept of white privilege comes from the USA. It means that simply being white gives a person additional benefits or rights compared to those of other skin colours.

Why are we talking about white privilege right now?

The notion has increasingly been brought into the spotlight in recent years by movements like Black Lives Matter, who campaign for greater racial equality all over the world. White privilege is now a commonly used term in the rhetoric of antiracist groups, both online and offline. There has been a backlash, especially from conservatives, against the idea that such privilege exists. Tensions are running particularly high at the moment, due to ongoing protests around the world against racial violence and injustice. This follows the death of George Floyd on May 25th, at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis.

When was born the concept of white privilege?

The underlying concepts of white privilege date back to the work of black American sociologist W.E.B. Dubois in the 1930s. He observed that black farmers and labourers had less advantages compared to white people doing the same jobs. He introduced the idea of a “psychological wage” for white workers. This meant despite being poor, they still had greater chances of being admitted to public functions and better schools.

Do white people have still white privilege? How can we reduce white privilege and get to a more equal society? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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CrossFit is a branded fitness regimen which combines weightlifting, gymnastics, endurance and other forms of physical conditioning. The name comes from the constantly varied nature of workouts, which change every day to suit each individual. The methodology was developed from the 1970s onwards by American college gymnast Greg Glassman, who would go on to found CrossFit with his then wife Lauren Jenai in 2000. The company operates an affiliate model, licensing its name for an annual $3,000 fee to gyms which are known as boxes. There are more than 15,000 affiliates worldwide, with around 6,000 in the United States alone.

What are the workouts like?

CrossFit has some points in common with high-intensity interval training. Its workouts are short and certainly high in intensity, switching quickly between exercises with little rest. They focus on the main components of physical fitness, like stamina, strength, agility and balance. Most CrossFit gyms don’t have any mirrors, as the methodology is based on pushing your body to its limits, rather than obsessing over looks. Classes are often carried out in groups and generally divided into a dynamic warm-up, skill or strength work, the Workout of the Day and a cooldown. Simple equipment is used, like barbells, medicine balls and pull-up bars. While it attracts many devoted followers, CrossFit has also been criticised for its high risk of injury and links to the controversial Paleo diet.

But why have we been hearing CrossFit mentioned a lot on the news and social media of late? What’s the fallout for the CrossFit brand? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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Jiko sekinin is a Japanese term which more or less translates as “individual responsibility”. It’s more than just an expression. It represents a culture or even ideology of duty and guilt in the Land of the Rising Sun. Rather than attracting pity, the likes of homeless people, the chronically ill and even hostages are considered responsible for what happens to them. What’s more, they are expected to simply accept their fate and deal with it.

Is jiko sekinin a recent phenomenon?

The values of independence and individual merit have long been rooted in Japanese history and culture. But Jiko Sekinin is actually a relatively recent phenomenon, dating back to around the mid-1990s. Experts have traced its origins back to the crippling recession of the late 90s and the rise of neoliberalism. At the time, government officials blamed the country’s economic problems on its social system, which was seen as overly generous and egalitarian. They believed the road to recovery should be based on jiko sekinin and efforts to achieve individual success. This would lead to a more competitive, creative and healthy society.

Does anyone actually support the idea? Has the coronavirus pandemic made jiko sekinin more apparent in Japan or in other countries? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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You’ve probably already heard of FOMO - the Fear of Missing Out. Well here’s the opposite: the Fear of Going Out - or FOGO. With coronavirus lockdown measures easing in many countries, some people are still spending more time at home than usual, or not going outside at all. The cause? FOGO! Now this acronym is not actually new, even if it’s being used a lot more at the moment. It was coined way back in 2015 by Alexis Swerdloff writing in New York magazine. He wasn’t really writing about a literal fear of going out. The term was created more in comparison to FOMO and our feelings when seeing other people’s posts on social media.

So what’s the difference between the two then?

FOMO is the worry that others are having a rewarding experience, while we are left out. People often feel that the grass is greener on the other side. And we easily become envious when we see how great others’ lives appear to be. We want what they have, whether it be money, possessions, beauty or happiness. Seeing friends or colleagues on a great night out, and feeling excluded, is a common example of FOMO. On the other hand, those who have FOGO feel that the events people are posting about are more daunting than appealing. It’s also worth remembering that people are often very conscious of the image they’re conveying of themselves when posting on social media. Therefore they only share the highlights of their existence, creating a distorted version of reality.

How has COVID-19 affected FOMO and FOGO? What can we do if we’re feeling FOGO or any other kind of anxiety right now? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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Politicians and influencers are complaining about shadow banning more than ever before. The term refers to the secret silencing of a person, topic or community by social media companies. Posts aren’t actually removed from the platform, but have a much reduced reach, due to not showing up in followers’ feeds. What’s more, affected users aren’t told this has happened, which has led to accusations of deliberate censorship by the likes of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

When shadow banning was born?

The origins of shadow banning go back as far as the 1980s, when forum moderators limited the visibility of posts by certain unpleasant users. But the practice has taken on a whole new dimension with the advent of social media and their increasingly complex algorithms. The term was popularized in 2018, when it was reported some Republicans were less visible on Twitter’s automatic search function. President Trump weighed into the debate with a trademark angry post - in block capitals, on Twitter of course.

So why do social media companies do this? And how would I know if I’ve been shadow banned? Is shadow banning bad or good? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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Since late May, hundreds of thousands of Americans have taken to the streets to protest against police violence, racism and inequality. Riots have broken out and curfews have been put in place in many cities. All this is a result of the death of African-American man George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis.

The Black Lives Matter movement originated in the U.S., following another tragedy. In 2012, black teenager Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by security agent George Zimmermann. When Zimmermann was acquitted the following year, three female activists created the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on Twitter as a show of outrage at the verdict. It caught on, and gradually developed into a much wider movement, especially after the deaths of two more African-American men: Michael Brown and Eric Garner.

Do black people really die more than others in the United States?

In 2015, black men accounted for just 6% of the population, but a comparatively huge 40% of unarmed civilians killed by police. A study by the National Academy of Sciences found that one in a thousand black men can expect to die at the hands of the police.

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Being asexual means different things to different people. Generally speaking, asexuality refers to the persistent lack of interest in sexual activity. One of the main criteria is not feeling any sexual attraction towards other people. Asexuality can be considered a sexual orientation, or a lack of sexual orientation. Awareness and acceptance of asexuality is still relatively recent, but a developing body of research is growing, from both psychological and sociological perspectives.

So is being asexual the same as being abstinent?

Asexual isn't the same as being abstinent. Abstinence is a choice to not engage in sexual relations, for religious or personal reasons. Asexuals don’t consider their lifestyle a choice; they say they are born asexual in the same way as someone is born straight, gay or bi. The most common misconception about asexuals is that they have some kind of illness and can be cured. There’s no scientific consensus to explain a person’s sexual orientation, or lack thereof. Therefore, it shouldn’t be considered a psychological disorder or problem.

Do asexuals stay single for their entire lives? Are there many closet asexuals out there? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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An ultracrepidarian is someone who gives their opinion on just about everything, including subjects which are beyond their sphere of knowledge. A simpler label would be to call someone a know-it-all. It’s linked to a form of cognitive bias known in the field of psychology as the Dunning-Kruger effect. People overestimate their ability at a task, due to their inability to objectively evaluate their own competence.

Where "ultracrepidarianism" is from?

It’s believed the phrase originates from the 4th century BC, and famous Greek artist Apelles. He used to display his paintings in public and stand out of sight in order to eavesdrop on people’s comments. Upon viewing one of Apelles’ works, a shoemaker mentioned that the sole of a sandal was painted incorrectly. Apelles took the painting away and corrected it, based on the shoemaker’s observation. When he put the painting back on display, the shoemaker took pride and criticised other details of the artwork. Apelles then apparently jumped out from his hiding place and used the Latin phrase "sutor, ne ultra crepidam”.

What does it mean? And why do I feel like I’m seeing a lot of ultracrepidarianism on TV and social media at the moment? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins which are secreted by B cells in the human body’s immune system. Their function is to neutralize pathogens like bacteria and viruses which enter the body. They work by recognizing unique molecules in the foreign material, which are known as antigens. By binding to the antigens, antibodies are able to destroy disease-causing microbes, or block them from causing infections. When we recover from an infection, some antibodies remain in the body serving as memory cells. Their presence therefore protects against future infections from the same pathogen. Serology tests can be carried out to determine whether a person has such protection. A blood sample is taken from the patient and later analysed for antibodies and antigens.

So why go to the effort of vaccinating people if the body is able to defend itself all alone with antibodies?

Antibodies represent our third line of defense against disease, after surface barriers and the non-specific responses of the innate immune system. In most people, this multi-layered system slows down infections, so the body can produce antibodies. But some people’s immune systems are weaker than others, and some viruses like COVID-19 are more dangerous than others. On the other hand, vaccinating someone is a pre-emptive strategy to help their immune system develop antibodies as future protection. This consists of injecting inactivated components of a disease into the body. When a vaccinated person encounters the pathogen that causes the disease in question, the body is ready to respond very quickly. Many once-deadly diseases have been more or less eliminated through vaccines, such as smallpox, measles and mumps.

So could we describe coronavirus as a flu which has mutated? And if you have been infected by coronavirus, does your body create antibodies? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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As the name suggests, drive-ins allow visitors to watch a movie being projected onto a large screen, from the comfort of their own car. The fun activity is making an unexpected comeback in the coronavirus pandemic era, as its outdoor nature is suited to physical distancing requirements. There have been reports of tickets selling out in minutes for many screenings, with crowds attracted by the idea of getting out of the house for some entertainment.

Where and when drive-ins are born?

Drive-ins are a particularly American phenomenon, so if you live in the States you may well have gone to a drive-in at least once. For the rest of us, our experience is likely limited to iconic scenes from Hollywood movies. Drive-ins first appeared in the US nearly 100 years ago, with Richard Hollingshead credited as the first person to screen one in the state of New Jersey. Their popularity spread quickly, peaking after the Second World War, due to couples being reunited, the resulting baby boom and rising car ownership. Going on a date at a drive-in movie became an integral part of any American teenager’s life. Families from growing suburb populations also made the outdoor screenings their recreation of choice on weekends. During their golden age, there were as many as 4,000 drive-ins in the US, and the concept was replicated across the world. But all good things come to an end, as they say. Home cinema systems improved from the 1970s onwards, meaning people had bigger and better TV sets at home. Cinema multiplexes also popped up everywhere, stealing away audiences. Many had dismissed drive-ins as a relic of past decades, with the market shrinking by 90%. But recent events have brought on a new-found popularity, with customers coming in their thousands.

So what do drive-ins look like in this day and age? And what’s the long-term outlook for drive-ins then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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If you search on Google for Chief Happiness Officer positions, you’ll only find around 700 results. While not widespread just yet, the popularity of such a role is definitely on the rise, as more and more companies look to ensure their workers are kept happy.

When was born this concept?

The concept was born in Silicon Valley, but you can now find CHOs in many other places too, notably France. It’s more common in startups, as larger companies have tended to resist the trend. Nevertheless, there are some examples like Virgin or Southwest Airlines which have been seduced, or at least place a strong emphasis on employee happiness. Chade Meng-Tan was arguably the first Chief Happiness Officer to exist. The Singaporean migrated to the United States and became Google’s 102nd employee, where his official job title was “Jolly Good Fellow”. According to Meng, a manager who displays compassion, humility and ambition is a better manager. Therefore it’s important to create a link with employees, make them feel loyal and invested in the company.

What is the HR manager's role? What’s in it for companies then? Are they just doing this to reduce cases of burnout? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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Snapchat dysmorphia is a mental health condition linked to the excessive use of filters and effects on social media apps. In extreme cases users become so accustomed to seeing a transformed version of their face through selfies, that they want to get surgery to look more like their virtual self. This phenomenon is causing concern among plastic surgeons around the world.

How did this phenomenon appear?

The past decade has seen the democratisation of photo editing. That’s largely thanks to filters, which are easy to use and available to anyone with a smartphone. With just a few taps, you can give yourself cat ears or add flowers in your hair. And we don’t always realise it, but they often do more than that. They can make our skin look smoother, our noses look slimmer or eyes look bigger. Some handsets even have these functions integrated in their cameras, without the need for an app!

So it’s like a kind of digital cosmetic surgery, isn't it? Will having a Snapchat filter face be the next big trend? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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Corona shaming is one of many trends to emerge during the coronavirus pandemic. Many are frustrated by others apparently not respecting public health guidelines like social distancing, lockdown rules and wearing masks. Most people have had no trouble following the rules, but it seems to have been more difficult for some. It could be a neighbour, a random person or group of people seen out and about or on the news, or it could be a celebrity. Whatever the situation, this behaviour is perceived as selfish and inconsiderate, therefore deserving a good dose of corona shaming.

The practice came about more or less the second lockdowns came into place, and has become a national pastime in many countries.One high-profile example was TV anchor George Stephanopoulos, who went into a local pharmacy, despite his wife having recently tested positive for COVID-19. The passer-by who spotted him was all the more exasperated as the pharmacy actually offered a free delivery service, making his visit unnecessary. Other stars to have been corona shamed include Jennifer Lopez for going to a gym in Miami, and Ivanka Trump, who travelled from Washington to New Jersey to celebrate Easter.

Celebrities haven’t really been the best role models in the last few weeks, have they? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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The general consensus was that children were relatively safe from COVID-19. But since late April, a number of coronavirus-positive children have been admitted to hospital with strange symptoms, resembling those of Kawasaki Disease.

How and when Kawasaki Disease was discovered ?

The condition was discovered by Tomisaku Kawasaki in late 1960s Japan. It affects young children and the resulting damage to blood vessels can lead to serious heart problems in the worst cases. The problem is we just don’t know how to explain the causes. Scientists believe it may be an autoimmune response due to a viral or bacterial infection, to which some children are genetically predisposed. The symptoms include a high fever, skin rashes, conjunctival injection and stomach pains. Children affected by Kawasaki disease are treated in hospital as there can be serious complications. Intravenous immunoglobulin is administered in high doses, usually improving symptoms within 36 hours. Full recovery can take up to six weeks, but lasting damage is uncommon. Not a lot of people knew about this disease, due to its relative rareness. That’s especially true in Europe, which less than one in 10,000 children are affected. But in April 2020, the British health minister warned that hospitals had admitted tens of children with similar symptoms. Elsewhere in Europe, hospital services in Italy, Spain and France observed clusters of similar cases. In the United States, three children died from an inflammatory disease in early May.

So are we saying that Covid-19 could be bringing on Kawasaki disease? Regardless of whether it is in fact Kawasaki disease or not, is it caused by coronavirus? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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The term welfare state refers to measures taken by governments to promote the well-being of the population. This usually takes the form of grants, pensions and benefits, especially for those who have the greatest financial needs. In COVID-19 pandemic times, economies all around the world have been hit hard, and many people are asking whether states should intervene more in order to protect citizens.

When and where was the welfare state born?

Towards the end of the 19th century, German Chancellor Bismarck needed to calm social unrest and secure support among the working classes. He introduced measures like pensions and employee health insurance, which formed the basis of the modern welfare state in Europe. The welfare state is a popular concept in times of austerity, such as in the USA or UK during the Great Depression. Wealth is systematically redistributed from rich to poor. France is well known for its social security system, but that only appeared in 1945 after the end of the Second World War.

So, where does the money come from? And how is it redistributed? Will the global recession bring about an upscaling of welfare programmes? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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Just like a carnivore eats meat and a frugivore feeds mainly on fruit, locavores are people who commit to a diet consisting only or principally of local food. The reasoning locavores give for their choice of lifestyle is that foods produced locally are healthier, as well as creating environmental, economic and community benefits. During coronavirus lockdowns, food supply chains have been greatly impacted on an unprecedented scale. Consumers have also adapted their eating patterns, with many choosing to eat local and seasonal as a result.

So what makes local food healthier then?

Local food has a shorter time from the moment it is harvested to being eaten at your dinner table. So it’s less likely to have lost nutrient values, compared to food which is imported from other regions or countries. What’s more, the potential for contamination is also much lower as there are fewer stages in the supply chain. Food produced far away could be subject to safety issues at the farming, washing, transportation or distribution steps. Your tastebuds will thank you too, as crops are picked when they’re at their ripest. Fruits which have to travel thousands of miles before being eaten are picked early and artificially ripened. Fresher food lasts longer too, meaning you’re less likely to waste it.

And what about the environmental benefits? Should we all become locavores? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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Anosmia is the clinical name for a complete loss of the sense of smell. Awareness of the disorder is somewhat low, and there is no known cure. But as many as 5% of people are impacted. With odor being intrinsically linked to taste, most sufferers also have some kind of alteration to their sense of taste. Permanent anosmia can be brought on by damage to olfactory neurons, or a brain injury. More rarely it is a congenital condition, which means the sufferer has no sense of smell from the day they are born. Temporary anosmia has been observed in a number of Covid-19 patients, drawing attention to the condition. It’s increasingly being recognized as an early symptom of the virus, with some countries like the USA and France adding it to public health guidelines. The World Health Organization also officially added it to its list of symptoms in mid-May.

Should those who lose their sense of smell be worried then?

Some data has shown that anosmia is most often experienced by those with less severe cases of the disease. Researchers from the US Department of Defense looked at a group of 169 Covid-19 patients and found that those who required hospitalization were far less likely to report a loss of smell or taste. The study’s summary went like this: “We and others have observed that anosmia manifests either early in the disease process or in patients with mild or no constitutional symptoms.” While that may sound reassuring, the authors warned that it was still too early to draw definitive conclusions.

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A webinar is a type of web conferencing, generally taking the form of a workshop, lecture or presentation. If office workers weren’t already familiar with webinars before the coronavirus pandemic, the overwhelming majority are now. That’s due to remote working practices brought on by lockdown measures in many countries.

How the term webinar was born?

The term is a portmanteau of web and seminar, which caused some controversy in linguistic spheres after first appearing. Lake Superior State University included it on its annual list of banished words in 2005. It did nevertheless make it into the dictionary the same year. There are several logistical advantages of webinars over in-person conferences. Users don’t need to travel in order to participate, and it’s more cost-effective.

Which platforms can be used for webinars? Are they safe for us? And are there safer alternatives to big platforms? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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Zumping is one of many new words to be invented since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic. It refers to the practice of getting dumped, or dumping someone, on video call app Zoom. Perhaps the first to talk about American journalist Julia Moser. Her tweet from April 10th asked: “Am I the first person who’s been dumped via Zoom”? Since then her tweet has been retweeted over 60,000 times and many others have shared their stories of breakups on Zoom, Facetime or Skype.

So, how "zumping" became a real word?

The Guardian invented the term zumping in reaction to the story, and Julia Moser later wrote in greater length about her experience on the Buzzfeed News website. She said: “I’m no stranger to breakups...But there is something particularly bruising about this happening in the midst of a global public health crisis. Crying over FaceTime to your sister isn’t the same as getting to wipe your snot on her shoulder IRL.”

Have every couples had a tough time being under lockdown ? Can we notice, for example, an increase of divorces since the lockdown? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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A political crisis is currently emerging in Europe, and it’s down to Corona bonds. The term is derived from eurobonds, which were joint bonds issued during the debt crisis at the start of the last decade. The idea is that investors loan money to the entire Eurozone bloc, which is then forwarded to individual states. It’s been a divisive issue in the past, and it’s causing debate again in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. Old tensions are being exacerbated; some countries are calling for greater solidarity from their fellow members, while others feel they shouldn’t have to bail out less responsible neighbours. Europe Day is celebrated every year on 9th May, commemorating the date of the Schuman Declaration in 1950. But in 2020 Europe is far from a celebratory mood. While member states try to contain the Covid-19 epidemic, the EU itself can’t act directly. The scope for it to legislate in health policy is limited. But it holds greater influence in economics and finance.

So, what are the solutions to the recession that's already hitting now ?

States are indeed going to have to invest large amounts of money in order to save their economies. To do so, they have to borrow from a wide range of domestic or international sources, like other states, banks and insurers.

Kind of like someone taking out a mortgage at a bank, right? And what’s been decided then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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Tocilizumab is a prescription drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis patients in over 100 countries. It’s administered by intravenous infusion in medical centres and hospitals, or by subcutaneous injection, which patients can carry out at home. In some cases, it has shown potential effectiveness in treating critically ill covid-19 patients.

What is the power of tocilizumab?

Tocilizumab was developed in the early 2000s by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Hoffman-La Roche. Its trade names are Actemra and RoActemra and it is a humanized monoclonal antibody, which blocks the interleukin-6 receptor. Believe it or not, the main danger to critically ill patients isn’t the coronavirus itself, but the response the body has in trying to fight it. That’s because the immune system can sometimes harm healthy cells by overreacting to the threat of a disease. One such example is a cytokine storm, which can lead to excessive inflammation. Cytokines are proteins which are important in cell signaling. When an illness occurs, they are released to mobilize defensive forces in the infected part of the body. Cytokine signalling usually ceases once the infection threat fades. But in the case of a cytokine storm, the alarm continues to sound, calling more and more cells and molecules. These end up causing more harm than the disease itself.

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The benefit of screening for diseases is to enable early diagnosis when a person is asymptomatic. That’s the case for a large proportion of those infected with COVID-19, which is why mass testing is being championed as a solution to slow the spread of the disease. With lockdown measures being eased in many places, there’s a risk of the coronavirus circulating more freely again. To combat this, governments are ramping up their screening capacities, in order to test more widely.

But is the mass testing working in other countries?

Several countries have seemingly handled the health crisis better than others due to mass testing. South Korea has carried out more tests than any other country since the start of the pandemic. At 10,000 per day, the country was able to react quickly to new waves of infection. Meanwhile in Europe, Germany was quick to react to the danger of the virus spreading. From the end of January, they began widespread testing of those returning from countries where the virus had already struck. On the other hand, certain countries have been criticised for not reacting quickly enough in this area, even after a global pandemic had been declared. The UK government set itself a target of 100,000 tests per day, which it’s so far struggling to meet. And in the United States, researchers believe that 20 million tests would be required every day, in order to safely reopen the economy.

So how exactly are these tests carried out? And what about antibody tests? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

For other questions about the coronavirus pandemic, you can click here:
What is herd immunity?
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What is an FFP2 mask?

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You likely hadn’t heard of FFP2 masks in pre-COVID-19 days, but they are in huge demand right now. The FFP abbreviation stands for filtering facepiece, which pretty much explains the purpose of such a mask. They are also known as respiratory protection masks and cover half of the face, specifically the chin, nose and mouth. FFP2 masks filter dust particles in the air, as well as viruses such as COVID-19. The spotlight is currently on care workers using them as personal protective equipment in hospitals. But they are commonly used by workers in many industries when they are exposed to fine particles.

And what is the particularity of this mask?

In the European Union, the EN149 standard is used to class FFP masks from 1 to 3 according to their efficiency. As you have likely surmised, the FFP2 mask is in the middle of the range. It has a minimum filtration of 94% and maximum 8% internal leak rate. Different criteria are used to classify masks depending on the jurisdiction. In the USA, the N95 mask is considered functionally equivalent to the FFP2 mask. In China, it’s the KN95 respirator and in Australia it’s the P2 mask. During the ongoing international health crisis, wearing a mask is recommended to limit airborne transmission of the virus. However, there are shortages of suitable surgical and respiratory masks in many countries, so they are being reserved primarily for frontline care workers.

Does wearing a mask really help stop coronavirus? And what about homemade masks then? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

For other questions about the coronavirus pandemic, you can click here:
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The term social distancing refers to measures taken to reduce physical contact between people to a minimum. The aim is to stop a contagious disease from spreading, in cases such as the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

This can be done by ordering citizens to avoid shaking hands for example. Or in more extreme circumstances, people must stay a minimum distance away from others when in public, or remain under lockdown.

One of the earliest instances of social distancing was introduced in October 1918, during the Spanish Flu pandemic. Max C. Starkloff, Health Commissioner in St Louis, Missouri, closed all public venues and banned gatherings of more than 20 people.

At the official end of the lockdown, will we get back to normal? Do we risk further coronavirus peaks by coming out of lockdown? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

For other questions about the coronavirus pandemic, you can click here:
What is the World Health Organization?
What are tracking apps?
What is care work?

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