GeeWizDriver

CDC seems to think masks aren't a panacea either.

https://californiaglobe.com/section-...ys-wore-masks/


And actually, the "mitigation" efforts will draw this out longer. Sweden got it right. Pretty much everybody else got it wrong.

Seneca Pilot

Actually one could argue that once people are mandated to wear masks they gain a false sense of security and stop social distancing because they are wearing a thin piece of cloth over their nose (possibly) and mouth. It could mean that they begin congregating in large groups that they would avoid if they weren't "protecting" themselves with masks. The havoc on our economies is due to the unnecessary lockdowns that have been ineffective in preventing the spread of the virus. If you want to know how this should have been done see Sweden. No lockdown, common sense directives focused on proper hygiene and social distancing, and mask wear where appropriate. What prolongs the problem is the constant on again/off again lockdowns that continually kick the can down the road. This virus will work its way through the population, they always do.

wrxpilot

It’s amazing that you and others on here still don’t understand:

Masks aren’t to protect YOU. They are to protect OTHERS when you are infectious.

As often as this gets repeated, it’s continuously twisted for political reasons by people like the author in the blog post you have linked to.

Excargodog

While I may not be in total agreement with everything you just posted, I think that you have made an excellent point that a lot of people are in denial about. I recognize that huge improvements have been made in our understanding of virology and immunology in our lifetime, and while I believe it is POSSIBLE that we will be able to terminate this pandemic through vaccination, that outcome is not only not assured, but if it does happen it will be the first time ever. And while indeed it is POSSIBLE that we may be able to field a safe, effective, and workable (IE., you don’t have to store it in liquid Nitrogen) vaccine in less than four years, if it does happen it will be the first time ever. And while I believe it is POSSIBLE we may be able to handle the logistics of a mass immunization program that will vaccinate 60% of the US population in a year or less, if it does happen it will be the first time ever.

While all of these things are desirable and yes, certainly POSSIBLE, It is absolutely correct to say that none of them are ASSURED, and those people suggesting a different course of action (or inaction) are not necessarily either knuckle dragging troglodytes, anti-science, or some sort of Neo-Luddite. Pandemics are not new. The human race has faced them in the past and always survived. It would be wonderful if we were able to use science and medicine to shorten the time that takes to happen while avoiding as much excess morbidity and mortality as possible, but that outcome is certainly NOT guaranteed.

Neither are lockdowns a panacea. They come at considerable cost, and not just economical cost. A generation of children are seeing their educations suffer. A lot of preventive medicine is not getting done. Kids are not getting vaccinated for childhood diseases that - to them - may pose an even greater threat than COVID-19. Pap smears, mammograms, screening colonoscopies are not getting done and that will inevitably translate into delayed diagnosis and more advanced cancer Requiring more radical surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy with poorer prognosis and higher mortality.

None of this is as straightforward as many would like to believe and there are oftentimes valid reasons for someone to have a different perspective than yours. But we are going to get through this. Not all of us, but certainly human society will. It always has, or it wouldn’t be here. This is scarcely our first rodeo.

AntiPeter

Interesting study but my point of view is people are very unreliable when it comes to self-disclosure, especially when shame is involved.

GeeWizDriver

It's amazing that you have bought an agenda-driven narrative hook, line and sinker.

The virus is carried in the aerosol. Masks don't stop the aerosol in OR out. Virus is gonna virus. If you are likely to get it, you are gonna get it. Sooner or later.

We were asked to distance, mask up, and shut down to slow the spread to prevent overwhelming the medical infrastructure, NOT to eradicate the virus. The medical infrastructure is nowhere near capacity. As recent revelations from the WHO have shown, lockdowns are ultimately counterproductive, especially now that the initial wave has passed.

But, by all means, keep on driving that narrative and living in fear.

fifidriver

Seriously?? Masks aren't to protect me??? So you are telling me all these years I used to wear N95 and other masks while sanding down stuff and other jobs I wasn't protecting myself from the dust but rather protecting the dust from me? 🤗🤔🤔

JamesNoBrakes

An N95 and it's purpose is inherently different. Why? There's a flapper that seals the outflow valve when you breath in, but when you breath out, it just goes straight out. An N95 is to protect the wearer, it does the opposite to anyone else if you are infected. But then again, if you've been using them all these years, you'd think this would be common knowledge?

I mean, just the fact that I have to explain this...

RedWhiteAndBlue

Masks were designed to protect a hospital worker-be it doctors, nurses or anyone else-from a tuberculosis bacteria infection brought in by tuberculosis patients. Masks actually work for this application. Why? Because the TB bacteria is sized at .5 microns and masks are constructed to filter down to .3 microns thereby providing .2 microns of conservatism. Investigate valved masks. When the wearer exhales the valve opens directly to the outside. Why? Because the doctor doesn’t have TB and can exhale directly to the outside without concern for others. When the doctor inhales the valve closes. Why? So the TB particles don’t inflow into the mask and infect the doctor.

Masks are designed for BACTERIA not VIRUS. A virus is sized at .06 microns to .12 microns. A viral particle sized at .06 microns is 55 times smaller than the .3 micron filter of the vast overwhelming majority of medical grade masks. Cloth masks have filters sized at 7000 microns x 7000 microns. Tens of millions of .06 micron viral particles fit inside one single filter hole in a cloth mask. Viral particles attached to any water particle/etc smaller than .3 or 7000 microns respectively is sailing directly through these masks. And this doesn’t even consider that absolutely zero filtration occurs around the outside of these masks and through the totally open valve.

You know where else you can get infected? Through the eyes. I don’t even think this warrants an obvious mask comment.

In my studied opinion masks are totally useless. In fact, they are depriving you of the oxygen you need (measurably so), poisoning you with CO2, and exponentially increasing your risk of staph infection. Ask the flight attendant I was sitting next to on a deadhead flight 5 months ago who fell asleep head down slightly in a mask. Promptly seized and went unconscious after 20 minutes. The individual was incoherent as the EMT’s carried them off after the divert. I hope they survived. By the way, call any mask manufacturer like I have and ask them how they protect against viruses. Well you know what the answer will be...

Oh yea, I engaged in this study because I had this minor flu early on. Do you all know how many people had the swine flu 10 years ago? I have yet to find a SINGLE person that can answer. Nor can I find a SINGLE person who can answer how many have had this Corona virus. Sad. Very sad. 1.4 Billion with a B got swine flu a decade ago. 38 million with an M have gotten Corona virus including me. That makes swine flu 36 times worse than corona. Remember when we destroyed everything ten years ago like now? ....I didn’t think so. And just in case there are those out there that say “but but but corona is far more deadly!” Well lets apply some basic math. The US represents 5% of the world’s population. Since we are in a “pandemic” that means we should expect 5% of deaths to be American. But they aren’t. They are 20%. 200,000 US deaths out of the 1,000,000 worldwide. I call total statistical BS on that unless you somehow think the virus hates americans. The numbers here are garbage.

By the way, we have studied about 50 types of corona viruses over the decades. 20% of colds are caused by corona viruses. And the all generally act the same way.

I sincerely hope that behind the scenes there are armies of lawyers gearing up and studying the reality of what has happened here. In my opinion there is only one possibility: organized malicious intent on a global scale. It disgusts me to see all of the lives and careers ruined as a result.....

Knobcrk1

The virus is attached to your droplets. Those droplets will be stopped by the mask by a very significant percentage. 50 to 90%. In fact I just went to the doctor and he had a mask OVER his n95 for that reason. Also way to end your opinion on conspiracy theories. Try again.