Facemasks

[woohoo]

I think it's a bit more nuanced than why didn't they do this straight away.

A professor was on BBC this morning saying that the evidence is out about the effectiveness of the general public using masks.

He said that you can point to a couple of studies from US and Germany that indicate this does help in reducing infection but equally there are studies that show the opposite.

I think the worry is that people will touch the masks, transferring the virus to surfaces they touch.

My guess this is just part of the governments approach to getting people feeling more comfortable going out and hopefully spending cash.

[d000hg]

Right, except you don't have to actually wear a mask do you? Just have to ensure the mouth and nose are covered.

In other words, any old bit of rag will do which seems utterly futile because it's going to be about as effective as a bit of chicken wire stopping a gnat

I think the doctors have more idea on this than you and they say a scarf or whatever is effective.

[BlueSharp]

If the general population could follow the rules of catch it, bin it kill it then I suspect there would be no need for masks or social distancing, but the general population are mainly muppets. I assume the logic is stay at home is best, 2 meter plus social distancing is better, 1 meter with mask is better than 1 meter.

[original PM]

I think the doctors have more idea on this than you and they say a scarf or whatever is effective.

Indeed they do.

Do face masks work against the coronavirus and should you wear one? | New Scientist

[Paddy]

I think it's a bit more nuanced than why didn't they do this straight away.

A professor was on BBC this morning saying that the evidence is out about the effectiveness of the general public using masks.

He said that you can point to a couple of studies from US and Germany that indicate this does help in reducing infection but equally there are studies that show the opposite.

I think the worry is that people will touch the masks, transferring the virus to surfaces they touch.

My guess this is just part of the governments approach to getting people feeling more comfortable going out and hopefully spending cash.

If people ware masks continuously, the mask will retain the moist breath along with bacteria and virus, this will make matters worse. Disposable masks need to be disposed of and reusable ones washed and sun dried.

[Old Greg]

Indeed they do.

Do face masks work against the coronavirus and should you wear one? | New Scientist

Try something more up to date than early April.


Still Confused About Masks? Here’s the Science Behind How Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus | UC San Francisco

[northernladuk]

I'm really struggling with this facemask thing. I see all the contradicting scientific evidence but I am struggling to believe that if we'd all worn face masks earlier it wouldn't have made a positive difference. 46 thousand dead and counting and you are telling me that if we'd been made to wear face masks months ago that number wouldn't have changed? Popycock. If that one person that coughed in an enclosed area that infected other people that passed it on etc had a face mask on and didn't infect that one person next to them the that went on an infected 5 and those 5 etc If those two people had masks on the risk of infection would have reduced (even if it's a tiny bit) but then the people that new infected person came in to contact with had masks and that risk is reduced and and so on, that, say, 5% reduction of infection snowballed up to the 1000's beneath it then the effect of the mask is significant?

Forgetting the issue of lack of masks back in the time, I'm staggered why such a simple solution, however effective, wasn't introduced.

All that said, looking at way people are acting nowadays it appears a vast majority seem to have gotten bored of socially distancing and the threat that's still there so a common sense approach like masks appears to be totally wasted at the moment.

I cannot see how we can't have a second wave at this rate.

[merseygrit]

A professor was on BBC this morning saying that the evidence is out about the effectiveness of the general public using masks.

We could wait three years for a peer reviewed meta-study to conclusively prove it, or we could take a risk based approach. There is very little downside but potentially big upside benefits.

I think the worry is that people will touch the masks, transferring the virus to surfaces they touch.

I'd rather have the virus on my fingers than in my lungs. Medics have long been taught that small virus particles inhaled deeply into the lungs are especially dangerous.

[AtW]

I cannot see how we can't have a second wave at this rate.

2nd wave is inevitable, but masks definately reduce transmission even 5% reduction is worth it, some estimates of effectiveness are much higher than 5%, so what's to lose?

[NickFitz]

If people ware masks continuously, the mask will retain the moist breath along with bacteria and virus, this will make matters worse. Disposable masks need to be disposed of and reusable ones washed and sun dried.

Nobody's suggesting people wear masks continuously.