Originally Posted by
Robert Engel
I don’t want to argue, but you can believe the CDC about masks or not. I obey our local mask ordinances, but I do not equate a mask with protection. I’ve read a study they estimate 65% effectiveness. What? How exactly do they measure that?
Touching the mask/face IS a significant means of transfer. Are you taking your mask on/off with bare hands? Your hand could be contaminated. I see people wearing it under their nose. People wearing masks walking down a deserted sidewalk, driving in their care, riding a bike is evidence to me many people are either scared or have a misconception.
Direct aerosol transmission is requires an actively infected person, with symptoms, in close contact with someone. There is also ample evidence that asymptomatic people and children do not shed virus.
I stand by what I said about re-using/touching mask, and cloth masks being useless.
If herd immunity is a valid concept (and it is) why are teenagers and 20 yr olds wearing masks
The epidemic will end when it either burns through, herd immunity, a vaccine or the virus mutates & weakens.
From the New England Journal of Medicine, May:
“We know that wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection. Public health authorities define a significant exposure to Covid-19 as face-to-face contact within 6 feet with a patient with symptomatic Covid-19 that is sustained for at least a few minutes (and some say more than 10 minutes or even 30 minutes). The chance of catching Covid-19 from a passing interaction in a public space is therefore minimal. In many cases, the desire for widespread masking is a reflexive reaction to anxiety over the pandemic.“
The whole article as printed in The New England Journal was confusing. They later printed this From the authors of the original article..
“Universal Masking in the Covid-19 Era
TO THE EDITOR
We understand that some people are citing our Perspective article (published on April 1 at NEJM.org) as support for discrediting widespread masking. In truth, the intent of our article was to push for more masking, not less. It is apparent that many people with SARS-CoV-2 infection are asymptomatic or presymptomatic yet highly contagious and that these people account for a substantial fraction of all transmissions. Universal masking helps to prevent such people from spreading virus-laden secretions, whether they recognize that they are infected or not.”
Last edited by Michael Weber; 07-19-2020 at 1:57 PM.
Reason: Deleted footnote references
My three favorite things are the Oxford comma, irony and missed opportunities
The problem with humanity is: we have paleolithic emotions; medieval institutions; and God-like technology. Edward O. Wilson