Does wearing masks really prevent coronavirus outbreaks?

[Esther]

I think if everyone covered their noses and mouths properly when in public with a mask or any covering such as a bandana or homemade mask or scarf, this will definitely help and perhaps could be the safest and quickest way of opening up the economy so far.

Here is an article in The Daily Mail with a study:

Does wearing face masks REALLY prevent coronavirus outbreaks? Data shows countries that imposed compulsory mask-wearing managed to reverse their crises as leading doctors urge Britons to use scarves to make their own.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...uggest-do.html

[mikewhitney]

No.

This is what I remember about the masks.

The virus is so small that the masks won't stop viruses you breathe out.

If viruses are on droplets of water, they will fall to the ground within several feet.

Plus, you have to be in close proximity to a person (like sitting next to them in a conference room) for I think 20 minutes before another person could have a chance of being infected.

[simplicio]

I think if everyone covered their noses and mouths properly when in public with a mask or any covering such as a bandana or homemade mask or scarf, this will definitely help and perhaps could be the safest and quickest way of opening up the economy so far.

Here is an article in The Daily Mail with a study:

Does wearing face masks REALLY prevent coronavirus outbreaks? Data shows countries that imposed compulsory mask-wearing managed to reverse their crises as leading doctors urge Britons to use scarves to make their own.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...uggest-do.html

the countries which mandated the use of masks also took serious epidemic protocols to heart.

I have read about the effectiveness of goggles and face shields for protection, they prevent the rubbing of the eye and nose, the scratching of the face. There is no magic bullet to prevent this disease. How much protection do we expect, what levels of security do we want? A few weeks ago there was a discussion about washing of the carts at Walmart, the worker was not using a totally sanitary procedure, was not wearing gloves or mask. So he was not using the highest possible methods, was not sterilizing those carts. But he was effectively reducing the possibility of infection from the carts.

If you want a high level of protection, then masks will not offer it. But a low level, partial but pragmatic solution, masks are it.

[Sparko]

No.

This is what I remember about the masks.

The virus is so small that the masks won't stop viruses you breathe out.

If viruses are on droplets of water, they will fall to the ground within several feet.

Plus, you have to be in close proximity to a person (like sitting next to them in a conference room) for I think 20 minutes before another person could have a chance of being infected.

Not true. While the virus is small enough to go through the weave of the mask, the virus is not airborne, but is only transmitted in water droplets you sneeze or cough out, and those are big enough to be trapped by the mask as you cough out, especially if you cough into your elbow like you are supposed to. It keeps the droplets from spreading through the air. It should also trap any droplets you breathe in.

The problem is your eyes. If there are droplets in the air, and they hit your eye, it can infect you. The mucous membrane in your eye can be infected and it leads directly to your sinuses and throat. So it's best to wear goggles or at least glasses.

[simplicio]

Not true. While the virus is small enough to go through the weave of the mask, the virus is not airborne, but is only transmitted in water droplets you sneeze or cough out, and those are big enough to be trapped by the mask as you cough out, especially if you cough into your elbow like you are supposed to. It keeps the droplets from spreading through the air. It should also trap any droplets you breathe in.

The problem is your eyes. If there are droplets in the air, and they hit your eye, it can infect you. The mucous membrane in your eye can be infected and it leads directly to your sinuses and throat. So it's best to wear goggles or at least glasses.

But once a mask becomes damp, the small material like viruses are transmitted through the cloth. And if one is careless with how it is handled and how it is stored, then the material on the inside becomes contaminated. So it offers only marginal protection to the individual wearing the mask.

The evidence is emerging on how the virus is shed which suggest it is expelled with the air, breathing, and not just droplets. Which is a real game changer.

[Sparko]

But once a mask becomes damp, the small material like viruses are transmitted through the cloth. And if one is careless with how it is handled and how it is stored, then the material on the inside becomes contaminated. So it offers only marginal protection to the individual wearing the mask.

The evidence is emerging on how the virus is shed which suggest it is expelled with the air, breathing, and not just droplets. Which is a real game changer.

People aren't soaking their masks in spit, Mike.

[QuantaFille]

I went to Costco yesterday and they wouldn't let me in because I wasn't wearing a mask, yet they were letting people in who only had a bandanna instead of a mask. So I went home and got a woodworking dust mask, not medical grade in the slightest, and they let me in with that.
I figured the mask rule is to prevent people freaking out, not to prevent virus spread. There's no way a bandanna is going to trap every bit of moisture someone breathes out, and the moisture is what carries the virus.

[simplicio]

People aren't soaking their masks in spit, Mike.

The masks do get damp with the moisture from exhaling. Which is why masks used for keeping out dust get caked up faster after being worn for a while. And it is also part of the reason the medical grade masks effectiveness deteriorates over time.

[simplicio]

I went to Costco yesterday and they wouldn't let me in because I wasn't wearing a mask, yet they were letting people in who only had a bandanna instead of a mask. So I went home and got a woodworking dust mask, not medical grade in the slightest, and they let me in with that.
I figured the mask rule is to prevent people freaking out, not to prevent virus spread. There's no way a bandanna is going to trap every bit of moisture someone breathes out, and the moisture is what carries the virus.

But even a partial effectiveness is more than nothing.

[Sparko]

The masks do get damp with the moisture from exhaling. Which is why masks used for keeping out dust get caked up faster after being worn for a while. And it is also part of the reason the medical grade masks effectiveness deteriorates over time.

If they get caked up, then they are working better when damp.

[simplicio]

If they get caked up, then they are working better when damp.

Many, if not most, generally take off their mask when it gets hard to breath, which is problem with the medical, N95 masks. The resistance to air flow makes it difficult to breath.

[Sparko]

Many, if not most, generally take off their mask when it gets hard to breath, which is problem with the medical, N95 masks. The resistance to air flow makes it difficult to breath.

That's not what was said initially. You said when it gets damp it stops blocking virus. It seems to block better as it gets damp.

[simplicio]

That's not what was said initially. You said when it gets damp it stops blocking virus. It seems to block better as it gets damp.

But the discussion is about how useful masks are as used by the general population, those without training.

It seems to block what better as it gets damp or caked up? It restricts airflow, but allows a channel for the very small particulates the size of a virus to follow the moisture into the lungs, deep into the lungs as the wearer struggles to breathe.

I did not say that at all, Sparko. I said that as the mask gets damp, the viruses more easily travel through the mask.

The weird part is that just a month ago I had a discussion with Rogue and pixie about the efficacy of washing down carts. They argued that anything less than sterile procedures was not worthwhile, I argued that it provided a pragmatic albeit a lesser level of protection and so appropriate.

The masks are a lower level of protection, and wearers should be cognizant of the shortfalls if they are worn for protection (as opposed to wearing them to meet rules mandated by local governments to be able to walk into stores).

[QuantaFille]

Many, if not most, generally take off their mask when it gets hard to breath, which is problem with the medical, N95 masks. The resistance to air flow makes it difficult to breath.

Most of the people I saw wearing medical masks at Costco that day solved that problem by leaving the metal strip across the nose straightened out to let air through the gaps.

[simplicio]

Most of the people I saw wearing medical masks at Costco that day solved that problem by leaving the metal strip across the nose straightened out to let air through the gaps.

I've seen few people wearing medical masks in public. A few were dust masks, but most are some home made.

Your observation shows why the public health community is divided on the question of masks, the average person subverts the very purpose of the mask! and truth be told, so do some health care workers. Wearing them for long periods is a pain, especially with strenuous activity.