Comment by Consultant32452 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by Consultant32452 | Hacker News Reader

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Consultant32452

>Surgical masks aren't about protecting the wearer from everyone else, they're about protecting everyone else from the wearer [1]. They may provide the wearer some protection, but that's not really the point.

I think you're confusing the normal use for these masks with what they are actually capable of doing. Yes, in a surgical setting the masks are worn primarily to protect the patient from the surgeon, but the masks do work both ways. Here's a citation from an infectious disease specialist:

https://www.health.com/condition/cold-flu-sinus/surgical-mas...

>“Yes, a surgical mask can help prevent the flu,” Sherif Mossad, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, tells Health. “Flu is carried in air droplets, so a mask would mechanically prevent the flu virus from reaching other people.” It would work both ways, says Dr. Mossad, preventing transmission of the flu virus to others and for keeping a mask-wearer from picking up an infection.

>> Surgical masks aren't about protecting the wearer from everyone else, they're about protecting everyone else from the wearer [1]. They may provide the wearer some protection, but that's not really the point.

> I think you're confusing the normal use for these masks with what they are actually capable of doing. Yes, in a surgical setting the masks are worn primarily to protect the patient from the surgeon, but the masks do work both ways. Here's a citation:

I wasn't confused. That's why I said they may provide the wearer some protection. The 3M YouTube video I linked even quantifies this, by measuring and comparing leakage between a surgical mask and an N95 respirator.

But that's not the point. Don't wear a mask to protect yourself, wear a mask to protect others.

Yes an N95 mask provides more protection than a surgical mask. That's completely different from whether either mask protects the wearer. Both masks absolutely protect the wearer from infection. I'm sure you understand that, but the way you are wording things makes this unclear.

If you have a mask shortage and there is one mask left in the country, is it better for the society for the sick person to wear it or for healthy person to wear it?

I simply will not stand to be "managed" or lied to. The masks protect the wearer. That is a simple fact. Anyone who states/implies otherwise is either ignorant or a liar.

Now we have the separate issue of the fact that there is a critical supply shortage. In such a scenario I'm more than happy to oblige in managing systemic risk by allocating all the masks to healthcare workers, the critically vulnerable, etc. But don't lie to me along the way.

He is not lying to you. That’s disingenuous. The OP is stating that the very little protection you get by wearing a mask does not warrant you horsing it. Masks should be used by sick people to Maximize their proficiency. I’m surprised to read such comments in the HN community which is supposed to be focused on engineering and optimization within a set of constraints.

How about making enough masks so healthy and sick can wear similar to countries like Taiwan.

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