In recent times, there has been some concern for public safety with respect to biological attacks on the public by terrorists or other criminal elements. The potential for biological attacks is believed to be primarily in the form of airborne particles and/or contamination of public water supplies. The public safety concerns have also been raised with respect to various types of infectious diseases (e.g. small pox, SARS, flu, etc).
With respect to airborne particles, the biological agent can be conveyed to individual households and/or to public locations by envelopes, packages and/or the like, which are transported by common mail carriers. In this conveyance mode, the biological agent is typically in powdered form and is dispersed into the air upon opening the envelopes, packages and/or the like. Alternatively, the biological agent can be released into the air by use of an aircraft, detonation of a bomb, releasing the biological agent from atop a building or other type of structure, and/or the like. In each of these situations, the biological agent, typically in powdered form, but alternatively may be in aerosol and/or liquid form, is designed to infect a large number individuals exposed to the biological agent.
Areas of concern for contact with a biological agent include, but are not limited to, outdoor sporting events, outdoor fairs and circuses, large outdoor public gatherings, and the like. Most often, such biological terrorism has little or no warning. As such, the exposed or potentially exposed public has little ability to reduce or prevent exposure to biological agents that are released into such public areas.
With respect to infectious diseases, the infectious disease can be spread from infected individuals to other individuals through close contact and/or actual contact with the infected individual. Areas of concern for contact with an infectious disease include, but are not limited to, outdoor sporting events, outdoor fairs and circuses, large outdoor public gatherings, hospitals and/or other medical facilities, public transportation, public restrooms, public restaurants, and other public areas. Typically, the infected individual is not aware of his/her infectious state and/or the severity of the infection. Consequently, such individuals commonly go to work or go shopping and expose or potentially expose the public. Such exposed or potentially exposed public has little or no warning or ability to reduce or prevent exposure to the infectious individual, potentially resulting in the spread of the infection. Patients and/or staff in medical facilities are sometimes placed at an even higher risk of exposure to infected individuals. Periodically, several patients are placed in waiting rooms and/or treatment rooms that contain several people. The close proximity of people to the infected person can increase the risk of the spread of the infection. In addition, medical personnel move from room to room when treating people. Medical personnel which come in contact with a infected person may spread the infection to others when such medical personnel move to other rooms to treat other patients.
Safety masks are known for use by doctors and their staff to protect the doctor and his/her staff from adverse bacteria, viruses and the like. Painters' masks are also known for use by painters to protect the painter from paint particles in the air during a painting process. Although these types of masks could be used by the public to provide at least some protection from an adverse biological agent, such masks are not commonly used by the public, especially in public areas. This lack of use by the public of such masks can be partially attributed to many people considering the wearing of such masks in public socially and/or fashionably unacceptable. In addition, such masks are an extra accessory that must be packed before traveling to a public area. As such, many people forget to pack and/or purchase such masks when traveling to a public area, thus do not have such masks readily available during a time of need.
In view of the potential dangers of being exposed to adverse biological agents in public areas and/or other areas, there is a need for a protective device that is convenient and readily accessible for use by an individual to provide such individual with a degree of protection from an adverse biological agent.