Oh What The Hell! Mask Or No Mask!

[seer]

They (the CDC) were just telling us that masks do not help the wearer that we should not use them, now....

Fauci: Mask-wearing recommendation under 'very serious consideration'

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, revealed on Tuesday that White House coronavirus task force is seriously considering guidance that all Americans wear masks to help thwart the rapid spread of COVID-19.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/0...navirus-157476


https://www.marketwatch.com/story/th...rus-2020-01-30

[demi-conservative]

They (the CDC) were just telling us that masks do not help the wearer that we should not use them

Well, they don't have enough so you shouldn't use them. Besides that, there was the lie that masks are not useful.

[seanD]

Don't masks prevent the wearer already infected from spreading it to others? That's how I understood the necessity of it. Most folks think the mask prevents them from getting infected when it fact, if it's airborne -- presumably the reason for wearing the mask -- it can enter your eyes if they're also exposed.

[mikewhitney]

Don't masks prevent the wearer already infected from spreading it to others? That's how I understood the necessity of it. Most folks think the mask prevents them from getting infected when it fact, if it's airborne -- presumably the reason for wearing the mask -- it can enter your eyes if they're also exposed.

I'm curious about this claim about infection through the eyes. Many systems/parts of the body are isolated biological regions. The virus would not seem to go deeper into your body by being in your eye. Also, the ingestion of the virus would have no effect because the digestive system breaks down biological material into basic neutrients. I think the only exception would be people with leaky gut -- if I understand this concept properly.

[Darth Executor]

Don't masks prevent the wearer already infected from spreading it to others? That's how I understood the necessity of it. Most folks think the mask prevents them from getting infected when it fact, if it's airborne -- presumably the reason for wearing the mask -- it can enter your eyes if they're also exposed.

masks absolutely do help prevent you from getting infected (obv no guarantees), and if you get infected they will reduce viral load significantly.

WHO, CDC, etc. lying to people about their effectiveness just further erodes social trust.

[shunyadragon]

They (the CDC) were just telling us that masks do not help the wearer that we should not use them, now....

Masks are helpful for sure. People infected, exposed, in close contact and vulnerable, or medical and law enforcement should where fitted N95 masks. At present their availability is very limited.

The problem with the simple surgical masks is their limited protection. They offer some protection for those wearing them, because they are reasonably effective on stopping the mist and droplets exhaled when we breath. Unfortunately when we breath in much of our breath enters around the mask, because of the force of our breath when we inhale.

Isolation and hygiene remain the best control of the spread of the virus.

[seanD]

They (the CDC) were just telling us that masks do not help the wearer that we should not use them, now....

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, revealed on Tuesday that White House coronavirus task force is seriously considering guidance that all Americans wear masks to help thwart the rapid spread of COVID-19.

So I wonder if this means yet another government directive for us to wear masks in public is in the making.

[JimL]

They (the CDC) were just telling us that masks do not help the wearer that we should not use them, now....

Common sense. If you're sick, definitely wear a mask around others, but if you're not sick a mask can protect you as well, just be careful that you don't mishandle the mask you wear which could pick up the virus while protecting you from getting it. A lot of people are using scarfs and such, but they have to realize that they need wash them and their hands after removing them.

[Starlight]

The virus isn't airborne. So (a) if you're not infected yourself and are just a civilian, a mask isn't likely to stop you getting the virus, as the primary vector of yourself getting infected is your hands.

But (b) if there's a high chance an infected person will literally cough or sneeze directly on your face (e.g. you are a medical worker who is physically touching coughing infected people) then a mask is going to stop the droplets they cough hitting your face.

Or, (c) if you are infected, a mask means when you do cough or sneeze, the virus is not going to be spread to people or objects coughed on.

As more and more of the population gets infected, and moves from category a) to category c), masks are going to become worthwhile for the general population.

[seanD]

Yeah, let's just state claims as matter of fact with no citation whatsoever. That it is or isn't airborne is debatable because, like everything else about it, there's conflicting info.

[shunyadragon]

The virus isn't airborne. So (a) if you're not infected yourself and are just a civilian, a mask isn't likely to stop you getting the virus, as the primary vector of yourself getting infected is your hands.

But (b) if there's a high chance an infected person will literally cough or sneeze directly on your face (e.g. you are a medical worker who is physically touching coughing infected people) then a mask is going to stop the droplets they cough hitting your face.

Or, (c) if you are infected, a mask means when you do cough or sneeze, the virus is not going to be spread to people or objects coughed on.

As more and more of the population gets infected, and moves from category a) to category c), masks are going to become worthwhile for the general population.

I disagree with your statement that the coronavirus is not airborne. It is airborne on the breath in mists and droplets of those that have the coronavirus.

Source: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-03-29/coronavirus-choir-outbreak

A choir decided to go ahead with rehearsal. Now dozens of members have COVID-19 and two are deadResearch has already shown that the coronavirus is nearly twice as contagious as influenza and far more deadly.

© Copyright Original Source

[Starlight]

It's interesting that the issue is being revisited, but the general view of the professionals still seems to be that the virus is not usually airborne, and that only if it goes through machines designed to aerosolise things (e.g. hospital ventilator machines) can it become genuinely airborne, and that air-testing around infected people has returned negative results.

While the anecdotal data of a couple of a few instances of seeming air transmission is interesting, I suspect that there was probably far more contact with shared surfaces than is typically realised - people using the same toilet facilities, etc. They were both also instances where people were breathing the same air as other people for quite extended periods of time in an enclosed space, so perhaps it's a matter of it getting into the air in only very small quantities, which usually isn't enough for infection, but in an enclosed space for extended time periods, can be?

[JimL]

It's interesting that the issue is being revisited, but the general view of the professionals still seems to be that the virus is not usually airborne, and that only if it goes through machines designed to aerosolise things (e.g. hospital ventilator machines) can it become genuinely airborne, and that air-testing around infected people has returned negative results.

While the anecdotal data of a couple of a few instances of seeming air transmission is interesting, I suspect that there was probably far more contact with shared surfaces than is typically realised - people using the same toilet facilities, etc. They were both also instances where people were breathing the same air as other people for quite extended periods of time in an enclosed space, so perhaps it's a matter of it getting into the air in only very small quantities, which usually isn't enough for infection, but in an enclosed space for extended time periods, can be?

Yep, upon further reading, that seems to be the case. The larger droplets from a sneeze or cough tend to fall to the ground, but the smaller droplets, which are not likely to be infectiuos, can stay airborne for some time, or so I've read. So, unless someone sneezes or coughs right in your face, your not likely to be infected through the air. That alone, if true, is good news, because I was under the impression that it was airborne, as are many of the people out there who are walking around with masks on everywhere they go.

[Mountain Man]

I disagree with your statement that the coronavirus is not airborne. It is airborne on the breath in mists and droplets of those that have the coronavirus.

As I understand it, "airborne" means that it lingers in the air for a long period of time and can be spread through air movement. The China virus, on the other hand, is heavy and quickly drops to the ground after being exhaled. This is the reason for the six-foot social distancing recommendation. In the case of the choir, they were all in close proximity and therefore could have easily inhaled the virus immediately upon being exhaled by another person.

[demi-conservative]

Yeah, let's just state claims as matter of fact with no citation whatsoever. That it is or isn't airborne is debatable because, like everything else about it, there's conflicting info.

Airborne spread is different from spread through sneezing and coughing. If you are in a situation where someone can sneeze or cough at you, like in a elevator, subway or an office, then a mask definitely helps. That is simple and should be common sense.

The real issue is that experts at WHO and CDC lied earlier. Meanwhile people ask "demi, why don't you trust the experts?!?!!??'