Who is saying masks are not helpful?
The closest thing the article says is that you should not hoard masks, that their usefulness is against airborne particles is limited to 30 min and that masks can make some people touch their face more.
The closest thing the article says is that you should not hoard masks, that their usefulness is against airborne particles is limited to 30 min and that masks can make some people touch their face more.
Where is the evidence?
"Experience in these settings indicates that respirators can function within their design specifications for 8 hours of continuous or intermittent use. Some research studies (14, 15) have recruited healthcare workers as test subjects and many of those subjects have successfully worn an N95 respirator at work for several hours before they needed to remove them. Thus, the maximum length of continuous use in non-dusty healthcare workplaces is typically dictated by hygienic concerns (e.g., the respirator was discarded because it became contaminated) or practical considerations (e.g., need to use the restroom, meal breaks, etc.), rather than a pre-determined number of hours." https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hcwcontrols/recommendedguid...
Remind people not to touch their face. Put a surgical mask to reinforce that over nose and mouth. Other benefits if they happen to be sick themselves. etc.
There was even thought of encouraging mask use to handle seasonal flu - they are very effective, normal issue is low adherence (people don't like wearing them).
In this situation adherence might improve.
What studies? Doctors wear masks to catch droplets from their own mouth and nose. Masks aren't designed to stop viruses, which can enter from the side. They may help if someone sneezes directly in front of you, but that's about it.
Masks are an absolutely basic viral control measure.
Seriously, a virus is on a surface, you touch a surface, then you touch your mouth. You're done. A mask reduces this risk.
"In an adjusted analysis of compliant subjects, masks as a group had protective efficacy in excess of 80% against clinical influenza-like illness." - https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(08)01008-4/ful...
If you are going to pump out lies please do it when folks are not facing something like covid. Seriously, wearing a mask has almost no downside if you are in a high risk area / are older, and some proven upsides.
Reality - masks are a valid, additional step. And given all the other crazy, high cost, high impact steps being taken to "flatten the curve" a low cost low impact step like mask wearing should be on the recommendations list.
Even kids (ultra low risk) in shanghai are wearing masks in the playgrounds. And here we have older adults squeezed onto mass transit and are telling them all the reasons why masks may not help.
To flatten the curve all low cost low impact steps should be taken.
Single-digit percentages of Asians are wearing masks under normal circumstances, some for pollution and mostly because it's expected if you have a respiratory infection.
Masks are now required in public in substantial parts of China. You can be arrested if you leave the house without one.