TBQPH the masks are useful in preventing spread from people who are infected (whether they know it or are symptomless) by trapping droplets. The only reason the CDC was saying "don't do it! don't wear them!!!" is because the supply of masks was so low that the CDC was afraid hospitals would run out.
Taiwan and Japan both had people wearing masks from early on (mostly because everyone did it by default, not because of government orders) and the spread was contained. Remember when Japan was Ground Zero? That's because all the tourists on floating petri dishes cruise ships didn't have masks.
If they had simply just recommended it, I wouldn’t have an issue with it, and would probably be wearing one when I go out. But because they wanted to force it up our asses, I’m not wearing one.
Love my mother dearly, and she’s a good conservative, but she’s old enough that the media’s got her terrified of this virus. She got mad at me today for saying “I’d rather die free than live a prisoner or a slave,” when we were talking about all of this
I choose not to wear a mask when I go out, but I'd like to play devil's advocate in order to better understand the whole situation. This is the second to last paragraph under "Mask, N95 respirator filtering performance" in the article:
These studies demonstrate that cloth or homemade masks will have very low filter efficiency (2% to 38%).
I put this statement together based on what I read; tell me what you think: "Cloth masks are very inefficient at filtering the virus. However because their efficiency is greater than zero, and because they do reduce the oral transmission radius of a carrier; the carrier's wearing of a cloth mask reduces the risk of spreading the virus to other people"
When someone wears a makeshift cloth mask they tend to have a feeling of false security against the virus. That false security leads to breaking the "social distancing" six foot rule.
The cloth mask will lead to an increase of face touching because the wearer adjusting the mask, pulling it down to talk, scratching their face, etc.
These actions further reduce the effectiveness of the cloth mask.
The study with 4 people has the right idea, just needs more people and definitely needs to figure out why they weren't detecting the virus on the inside of the mask (from people who were coughing and had the virus).
Most home made masks reduce the transmission rate of the virus coming in, by about 40-60%. Surgical masks are about 70-80% filtration coming in. You are still getting some exposure, just not as much. The transmission radius going out - as you put it, is a very good way of explaining it. It isn't stopping material from getting out during a cough, but it is trapping the larger droplets and impeding the flow somewhat of the tiniest ones.
The study's statement here: "Alternatively, the small aerosols of SARS–CoV-2 generated during a high-velocity cough might penetrate the masks." matches up with testing data 3M and other companies have done on cotton and surgical masks.
We went through a drive thru this evening. The cashier was wearing a mask. She touched her face a total of 4 times in our 30 second interaction. It looked like it was a little bit too big for her and she was adjusting it. One time she pulled it down so that she could pull in some air through her nostrils. These things really don't work.
This, masks do work but only if the chain isn't broken early on. Asians have been wearing them en masse and going to work at the same time for decades because of seasonal hay fever. Americans here never had to deal with anything quite like that annually + widespread smog to begin with.
I wish I had a link for you, but the funniest one I recall seeing (over a month ago) had a guy in a deli with a shoe tied to his face by the shoelaces.
TBQPH the masks are useful in preventing spread from people who are infected (whether they know it or are symptomless) by trapping droplets. The only reason the CDC was saying "don't do it! don't wear them!!!" is because the supply of masks was so low that the CDC was afraid hospitals would run out.
Taiwan and Japan both had people wearing masks from early on (mostly because everyone did it by default, not because of government orders) and the spread was contained. Remember when Japan was Ground Zero? That's because all the tourists on
floating petri dishescruise ships didn't have masks.If they had simply just recommended it, I wouldn’t have an issue with it, and would probably be wearing one when I go out. But because they wanted to force it up our asses, I’m not wearing one.
Love my mother dearly, and she’s a good conservative, but she’s old enough that the media’s got her terrified of this virus. She got mad at me today for saying “I’d rather die free than live a prisoner or a slave,” when we were talking about all of this
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/commentary-masks-all-covid-19-not-based-sound-data
Only an N95 or better will actually prevent harmful particulates. A surgical mask or makeshift mask will not prevent the spread of virus.
I choose not to wear a mask when I go out, but I'd like to play devil's advocate in order to better understand the whole situation. This is the second to last paragraph under "Mask, N95 respirator filtering performance" in the article:
I also read the article at the link further below at https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-1342 and another article at https://www.healthline.com/health-news/face-masks-importance-battle-with-covid19 along with the user comments. I even went as far as looking for strong arguments to wear masks on various sites, and all I could find was "Because the CDC said so" and "Because countries with lots of people who wear cloth masks fared better" although I've seen no proof of correlation.
I put this statement together based on what I read; tell me what you think: "Cloth masks are very inefficient at filtering the virus. However because their efficiency is greater than zero, and because they do reduce the oral transmission radius of a carrier; the carrier's wearing of a cloth mask reduces the risk of spreading the virus to other people"
I think you may want to consider:
These actions further reduce the effectiveness of the cloth mask.
The study with 4 people has the right idea, just needs more people and definitely needs to figure out why they weren't detecting the virus on the inside of the mask (from people who were coughing and had the virus).
Most home made masks reduce the transmission rate of the virus coming in, by about 40-60%. Surgical masks are about 70-80% filtration coming in. You are still getting some exposure, just not as much. The transmission radius going out - as you put it, is a very good way of explaining it. It isn't stopping material from getting out during a cough, but it is trapping the larger droplets and impeding the flow somewhat of the tiniest ones.
The study's statement here: "Alternatively, the small aerosols of SARS–CoV-2 generated during a high-velocity cough might penetrate the masks." matches up with testing data 3M and other companies have done on cotton and surgical masks.
Sounds about right.
They’re not available at stores!
Basically anything/everything helps prevent you from spreading it (droplets). Only N95/99/100/etc. will do a reasonable job at protecting the wearer.
That's not what the article says.
We went through a drive thru this evening. The cashier was wearing a mask. She touched her face a total of 4 times in our 30 second interaction. It looked like it was a little bit too big for her and she was adjusting it. One time she pulled it down so that she could pull in some air through her nostrils. These things really don't work.
Other way around. They don’t contain the virus in infected patients but could keep non-infected people from being exposed.
https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-1342
This, masks do work but only if the chain isn't broken early on. Asians have been wearing them en masse and going to work at the same time for decades because of seasonal hay fever. Americans here never had to deal with anything quite like that annually + widespread smog to begin with.
I saw a woman wearing a t-shirt sleeve around her head. So tight and nose uncomfortably smashed. What else can they get them to do? Hilarious.
I wish I had a link for you, but the funniest one I recall seeing (over a month ago) had a guy in a deli with a shoe tied to his face by the shoelaces.