Does wearing masks really prevent coronavirus outbreaks?

[Sparko]

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.

Yeah they get very hot if you have to wear them for any length of time.

[Sparko]

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).

and yet humidity and heat kill the virus. I don't think that the virus travels more easily through a damp mask.

[rogue06]

Yeah they get very hot if you have to wear them for any length of time.

Not just hot but they seem to restrict air flow. My job often requires some physical labor and I tire out quick when I'm wearing one. It's like working at a high elevation withy thin atmosphere.

[rogue06]

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.

Around here at least half the folks who wear anything have medical masks

[shunyadragon]

and yet humidity and heat kill the virus. I don't think that the virus travels more easily through a damp mask.

It is not known that humidity and heat kill this virus. In Singapore, hot and humid they relaxed the measures and the infections increased.

Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/05/03/849135036/singapore-was-a-shining-star-in-covid-control-until-it-wasnt

Singapore Was A Shining Star In COVID-19 Control — Until It Wasn't

Early on in the coronavirus pandemic, Singapore was praised as a shining example of how to handle the new virus. The World Health Organization pointed out that Singapore's aggressive contact tracing allowed the city-state to quickly identify and isolate any new cases. It quickly shut down clusters of cases and kept most of its economy — and its schools — open. Through the beginning of April, Singapore had recorded fewer than 600 cases.

By the end of April, however, the case count exceeded 17,000. And not only is all of Singapore now under a strict lockdown, but it has the most coronavirus cases in Southeast Asia.

The vast majority of these cases are in the overcrowded dormitories that house more than 300,000 of Singapore's roughly 1 million foreign workers — and the number of cases is expected to continue to rise in the coming weeks.

"We have started our testing with the dormitories where there were a high number of cases detected," Singapore's health minister, Gan Kim Yong, said in a virtual press briefing this week.

Singapore ordered a lockdown on April 7 in response to an uptick in cases in the general population — and then began to find a significant number of cases in the dorms.

© Copyright Original Source

A classic failure of the lack of safe didtancing.

[shunyadragon]

Does wearing masks really prevent coronavirus outbreaks?

Simple no, but it does reduce the possible spread of the coronavirus by those wearing it.

[mikewhitney]

It is not known that humidity and heat kill this virus. In Singapore, hot and humid they relaxed the measures and the infections increased.

Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/05/03/849135036/singapore-was-a-shining-star-in-covid-control-until-it-wasnt

Singapore Was A Shining Star In COVID-19 Control — Until It Wasn't

Early on in the coronavirus pandemic, Singapore was praised as a shining example of how to handle the new virus. The World Health Organization pointed out that Singapore's aggressive contact tracing allowed the city-state to quickly identify and isolate any new cases. It quickly shut down clusters of cases and kept most of its economy — and its schools — open. Through the beginning of April, Singapore had recorded fewer than 600 cases.

By the end of April, however, the case count exceeded 17,000. And not only is all of Singapore now under a strict lockdown, but it has the most coronavirus cases in Southeast Asia.

The vast majority of these cases are in the overcrowded dormitories that house more than 300,000 of Singapore's roughly 1 million foreign workers — and the number of cases is expected to continue to rise in the coming weeks.

"We have started our testing with the dormitories where there were a high number of cases detected," Singapore's health minister, Gan Kim Yong, said in a virtual press briefing this week.

Singapore ordered a lockdown on April 7 in response to an uptick in cases in the general population — and then began to find a significant number of cases in the dorms.

© Copyright Original Source

A classic failure of the lack of safe didtancing.

a little reminder ... the number of covid-19 cases is totally a function of how many people you test. It is not an indicator that covid-19 has spread further. You would only know it spread further if you tested the same people before they had a positive result and then found those people to be positive with covid-19 later.

[mikewhitney]

and yet humidity and heat kill the virus. I don't think that the virus travels more easily through a damp mask.

I saw some test results that showed that the virus is destroyed in about 60 seconds in the beach environment (on a hot day).

The other thing I heard is that bacteria or viruses are destroyed quickly within the mask because of the higher breath temperature. Then the outside of the mask would show more active contamination.

[shunyadragon]

a little reminder ... the number of covid-19 cases is totally a function of how many people you test. It is not an indicator that covid-19 has spread further. You would only know it spread further if you tested the same people before they had a positive result and then found those people to be positive with covid-19 later.

You have remember this basically one city and testing, cases and body count is easier than in countries. Of course, this did not count accurately the asymptomatic and mild cases, but it is accurate for the trend of the sick cases and fatalities. The point of the article is accurate.

Both Hong Kong and Singapore have aggressive testing programs.

[mikewhitney]

You have remember this basically one city and testing, cases and body count is easier than in countries. Of course, this did not count accurately the asymptomatic and mild cases, but it is accurate for the trend of the sick cases and fatalities. The point of the article is accurate.

The counting of severe illness and fatalities is not accurate either. Most people who landed in the hospital or had died during this period were said to be COVID-19 positive cases or COVID-19 deaths, respectively.

[shunyadragon]

I saw some test results that showed that the virus is destroyed in about 60 seconds in the beach environment (on a hot day).

On a beach environment you can fry an egg, and this true in Death Valley. How is that representative of air temperature and humidity that people live in like Singapore. I have lived in a tropical climate, and the average Temperature year round is 90 degrees and 80 - 90 percent humidity. In the rainy season 85-100% humidity raining every day.

The other thing I heard is that bacteria or viruses are destroyed quickly within the mask because of the higher breath temperature. Then the outside of the mask would show more active contamination.

You heard? Well not true.

[shunyadragon]

The counting of severe illness and fatalities is not accurate either. Most people who landed in the hospital or had died during this period were said to be COVID-19 positive cases or COVID-19 deaths, respectively.

Says who? reference please. The past few posts you have been talking out of your back side.

[mikewhitney]

Says who? reference please. The past few posts you have been talking out of your back side.

It is because my backside is much better than your brain matter. I'm not sure why you have not been able to find this material.

[shunyadragon]

It is because my backside is much better than your brain matter. I'm not sure why you have not been able to find this material.

I have references, you have provided nothing except odd 'I read somewhere' bogus claims about heat. The bottom line is heat and humidity do not effect the COVID 19 virus..

[shunyadragon]

a little reminder ... the number of covid-19 cases is totally a function of how many people you test. It is not an indicator that covid-19 has spread further. You would only know it spread further if you tested the same people before they had a positive result and then found those people to be positive with covid-19 later.

To reinforce the point of the references and the posts. Again heat and humidity have no apparent effect on this corona virus.

, . . and regardless of you trying to raise the fog index on the data for Singapore, the data in all countries and cities clearly demonstrate that crowded living and social events are major spread of the COVID 19, and humidity and temperature have no effect on the COVID 19 virus.