Why Telling People They Don’t Need Masks Backfired
nytimes.com
nytimes.com
From an engineering and first-aid standpoint I figured they can't hurt, so it's good to see other people with the same perspective.
I'm glad I spent time (several weeks ago) doing my own research on the issue, and consulting experts directly.
And took appropriate action to protect friends and family.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFB_C2ieW5I&t=15m50s (the same video) * N95 masks prevent things from getting in, surgical mask prevents things from getting out * N95 masks are in short supply
If I understand the expert correctly N95 are good and masks for everyone would be good, but there aren't enough for everyone.
If people avoid you that's rather good. Also, the mask might also say "I'm a healthcare worker who mustn't get sick, please keep the highest possible distance."
How about manufacturers of Mask ( 3M ) simply prioritising delivery to medical staff first?
HK, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, the closest to China with way more Chinese visitors has managed to remain under control. And at least their business activities is not a complete halt.
The world could have spent a fraction of the money to make enough mask but instead they are now left with billions of package to save stocks and billions to hand out for those living pay check by pay check.
Health care takes place in steady rain. The goal is to reduce exposure below the viral load required for infectivity.
If you walk around with an umbrella on a sunny day, you are bound to get careless.
By the time a member of the public has a rare high-risk interaction, a mask is not going to seal around your nose, or it will be open at the sides, or moisture from your breath will have compromised it, or it will be incompetent due to being long past the very short mandatory replacement time.
And a mask is more like a raincoat, not like an umbrella. Raincoats also work against sprinklers ;)
Because the officials are recommending against masks, there is huge social pressure against people wearing masks, making those that have them avoid wearing them.
If you wash your hands frequently, don't touch your face, and maintain a safe distance from others, your risk goes down dramatically. If you add a mask to that, your risk goes down modestly. Everyone can do the first set of steps, but not everyone will have access to masks, and having more people panic about getting masks will likely cause more problems than we have already.
I feel like that was the intended message, but they weren't transparent about it. Trust is built over time and can be destroyed in an instant. Our leaders need to be much more careful.
Any five year old knows some protection is obviously better than none. It's unbelievable that some people went along with such utter, obvious dangerous stupidity and repeated it.
Imagine advice on HIV being condoms sometimes break, DON'T USE THEM.
Would some people be ignorant enough to accept and spread such criminally stupid advice (and often in a condescending way) because it came from an official or authoritative source? Apparently probably.
> Everyone can do the first set of steps
Nah, not touching your face is an impossibility. People touch their faces constantly, hundreds of times a day, and usually are not even aware they're doing it.
Aside from added protection, wearing a mask of any kind is a constant reminder of a not normal situation and to practice the other safety advice, distance, awareness of unclean surfaces, washing.
According to Italian media, 50-75% of those infected are asymptomatic and the vast majority are 20-somethings.
Indeed. Oh these scientists/doctors/authorities are willing lie. What else are they lying about?
People who say masks work are similar to antivaxx, who don't trust authorities. Now I understand how antivaxx people feel like.
Lying in an era of unlimited information is a dangerous thing.