Coronavirus thread

[BehindBlueI's]

I would point out that, according to my layman's understanding, a general masking-up policy is not designed to keep you from getting infected. .

Yes, the messaging is not what's in dispute. The effectiveness is and why the trade offs are not part of the discussion is. Take a look at some of the studies that have been linked and you'll note that they do not indicate it's effective in doing so.

Coronaviruses, as a family, require a medium to transmit without surface contact--an actual physical droplet (not an aerosol-like fine mist)

I again invite you to read the studies posted already.

[BehindBlueI's]

I think those benefits of wearing a mask are very obvious. But many people continue to conflate wearing a mask with "the government is forcing me to do something and I won't stand for that"

Would you care to comment on all the studies posted that are contrary to that obviousness?

How many people are conflating "the people who told me yesterday that I shouldn't wear a mask are telling me I should wear a mask, but if I wear a mask I must social distance as if I didn't have a mask" with data? If we're just brushing off information that we don't like as political there shouldn't be any issue providing actual data showing a reduction in transmission rates with the t-shirt masks.

What's obvious is N95 and better, combined with other PPE and used properly is effective. It's in no way obvious DIY masks worn by the masses are effective as anything other than a feel good measure.

When this first started, I wore eyewear and a surgical mask to the grocery. Then I researched it for myself. Now I don't. Not because gov't told me to or anyone told me to or not to, whatever else you want to brush it off as. Can you say the same?

[Wise_A]

Yes, the messaging is not what's in dispute. The effectiveness is and why the trade offs are not part of the discussion is. Take a look at some of the studies that have been linked and you'll note that they do not indicate it's effective in doing so.

You're suggesting it's ineffective because people keep wiping their hands all over their big dumb faces. It's not really a reason to say "don't wear a mask", because I'm pretty sure that they didn't need an excuse to lick their ham grabbers. If you haven't yet figured out how to wash your hands, that's kind've your problem. Hand-to-face is an ingress route, walking around spitting on everything is what we're worried about.

I again invite you to read the studies posted already.

I flipped through the ones from the last few pages. They're either being applied out-of-context, or don't actually say anything more substantive than "N95 better" and "not going sick place better than mask". As to droplet transmission--coronaviruses, as a family, require droplets for non-contact transmission. COVID-19 isn't the only coronavirus in existence. Remember that dumbshit Facebook pic with the bovine coronavirus vaccination?

Everyone tells anyone this.

I'm referring to how the government sold it to the...more donkey-brained members of the general public. I hear some places, they just told people. That line did not work in all markets.

[BehindBlueI's]

You're suggesting it's ineffective because people keep wiping their hands all over their big dumb faces. It's not really a reason to say "don't wear a mask", because I'm pretty sure that they didn't need an excuse to lick their ham grabbers.

You're obviously not reading the links posted. That's the reason wearing a mask may be more risky to the wearer then not wearing a mask. It has nothing to do with why masks are ineffective at stopping you from spreading it to others. Honestly if you're not willing to at least read the information put in front of you and evaluate it I think it's pointless to continue the conversation.

[Wise_A]

I know, you're looking at the letter to the editor referencing British surgical practices. That's the one I thought was fairly inapplicable. To iron man it a little bit, let's just pretend that an operating theater and your local grocery store are circumstantially the same (they're not). Now let's say that everyone on the other side of the pond stopped wearing masks, and the infection rate didn't rise. Does that tell us that masks are ineffective at preventing infection?

No. It doesn't. It just tells us that the overwhelming majority of infections come from somewhere else.

Anyways, here's the summary of one of the studies from that letter, which is kinda funny.

Twenty-five volunteers were asked to speak at blood agar plates positioned in close proximity to the mouth, initially whilst not wearing a face mask and then wearing a surgical face mask over the mouth and nose. A fresh face mask almost completely abolished bacterial contamination of agar plates 30 cm from the mouth. After 15 min there was an increase in the level of contamination which was statistically insignificant.

[Lester Polfus]

Trump said he has been taking hydrochloroquinine for a couple of weeks.

Reports that he is saving bottles of his own pee and watching Ice Station Zebra on endless repeat are unconfirmed.

[blues]

[Caballoflaco]

Reports that he is saving bottles of his own pee and watching Ice Station Zebra on endless repeat are unconfirmed.

[BehindBlueI's]

I know, you're looking at the letter to the editor referencing British surgical practices.

How about the Wake Forest study, the one I posted?

In an effort to determine the protective qualities of homemade cloth masks, a team of doctors and scientists used rigorous testing, known as particulate filtration, to evaluate 13 different designs from approximately 400 masks made by community volunteers.

The goal was to find out which type of mask best removed particles 0.3 – 1.0 microns in diameter, the size of many viruses and bacteria

. The best homemade masks achieved 79% filtration as compared to surgical masks (62% to 65%) and N95 masks (97%). But other homemade masks tested performed significantly worse, sometimes demonstrating as little as 1% filtration,

I'm not a doctor or a scientist. Those guys apparently were. Findings:

Segal said. “We don’t want people to think that just any piece of cloth is good enough and have a false sense of security.”

They actually found a homemade mask design with mutiple layers were BETTER than commercial surgical masks, but not as good as an N95.

Is this data widely spread? Did you know it? If we're really thinking masks are the answer, why is this sort of thing not part of the PR campaign?

Remember the CDC, after saying I shouldn't wear a mask, now says I can cut up a t-shirt and put it over my face. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...coverings.html


Remember I've not once said proper equipment used correctly is ineffective. Please show me how t-shirt masks are useful. Not how you feel. Actual data.

[YVK]

I continue to wear masks in most public places, especially indoors. Most of the time I wear personally owned N95s, sometimes regular surgical, depending on expected density of people around. In general, I don't take the mask off until I can drive home (that certainly gets me looks as if I am crazy) and can appropriately wash my hands. If that's not practical, I use a sanitizer that I always keep in my car to clean my hands and then take it off with an appropriate technique.
Based on what I've read, even a surg mask can decrease a viral dose so I'll take that over nothing.

I see a pretty good analogy between guns and masks. Guns help us to stay safe, so do the masks. If mishandled, both can cause problems. If you can learn how to handle one correctly, you can do it for the other.