Speculation here, but I think if everyone had worn face coverings (i.e. scarves or even masks) early on, we wouldn't have as many cases in the US today. Combined with social distancing, we could have even possibly flattened the curve.
edits: grammar
And Florida just issued their shelter in place - this country’s hate of science doomed it to the number of cases it was going to get regardless.
To protect others from you however, you probably just need to make sure you don't spit, and don't touch your face. A cloth mask could help with both. Gloves may also help (having something on your hand can remind you not to touch your face).
Doctors & other exposed personnel need masks to protect themselves. The rest of us likely mostly need to protect them from us.
(Totally not a doctor, citation needed.)
And talking. We sometimes throw droplets with percussives such as P or T.
If we have a shortage of masks, either surgical or n95 respirators there are other things we can do to prioritize who gets them. I just don’t think lying / misleading the public about their effectiveness is the way to do it.
I feel this was a really really bad move which will result in otherwise avoidable deaths from people arguing they shouldn’t do what officials say because they lied about such an important issue before.
> It feels like now the population has been taught to not wear masks and it’ll be an uphill battle to reverse that.
No masks is already the US status quo. In the same way propaganda told people not to buy them, they will be told to wear them and how to make them at home. It’s a pretty easy reversal when the message is demanded to be broadcast through all mediums.
Why is this not being broadcast from all possible media outlets? “Stay at home. If you just absolutely go out, wear a mask.” It’s really that simple.
Like I said before I understand the need to prioritize, but there’s other ways to do that. Redirecting supply to medical facilities etc, which is already being done. Most people can’t even buy n95 respirators now even if they want to. No need to lie about their effectiveness in preventing spread.
Even in article, we are talking cloth face masks. That will provide even less marginal protection to the wearer from contracting the virus. But it will reduce the spread from an infected person. The goal isn't to wear a mask to protect yourself, the goal is to not spread the virus as an asymptomatic carrier
It's not fruitful to worry about a hypothetical. I worry more about asking many Americans to do something they perceive as altruistic.
edit: it is rude to call something FUD if it isn't. I didn't say no benefit, I said marginal. And I think everyone greater risk in a general healthcare systemic collapse, which is what is on the table. If you weigh all the risks, until there are enough for all medical purposes they should go to medical wearers. Then it should be triaged by vulnerability. This seems really common sense. And obviously, a homemade cloth mask, scarf, or t-shirt when forced into a situation around other people is basic common sense, and I didn't feel the need to say it. That's why I'm talking about N95s, not masks, and certainly not cloth masks that are homemade.
edit: downvotes are frustrating. I am almost restating the article verbatim to correct misunderstandings in the comments here about what and why is being suggested.
However, on Wednesday, Dr Adams told Good Morning America that the CDC had been asked to review its guidelines on masks, because "we've learned there's a fair amount of asymptomatic spread" - although he stressed that medical masks should still be left to health care professionals who needed them most.
and
However, more and more health experts now say there are benefits.
They argue that the public use of masks can primarily help by preventing asymptomatic patients - people who have been infected with Covid-19 but are not aware, and not displaying any symptoms - from unknowingly spreading the virus to others.
edit: check out https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22752501 for resources that say indicate otherwise on mask wearing even benefiting the wearer. Don't be an antisocial asshole and buy or wear N95s and give them to healthcare workers, who face a much higher viral loads than you, until supply constraints are resolved.
Marginal > none
> Even in article, we are talking cloth face masks. That will provide even less marginal protection to the wearer from contracting the virus. But it will reduce the spread of an infected person. The goal isn't to wear a mask to protect yourself, the goal is to not spread the virus as an asymptomatic carrier
Not true, getting a lower dose of the virus initially gives your body more time to develop antibodies.
Can you substantiate that claim with any evidence, preferably by citing published articles? I'm not disagreeing, I just wasn't able to find any myself.
And From CEBM [1]:
> The initial dose of virus and the amount of virus an individual has at any one time might worsen the severity of COVID 19 disease. Viral load is a measure of the number of viral particles present in an individual. Higher SARS-CoV-2 viral loads. might worsen outcomes, and data from China suggests the viral load is higher in patients [2] with more severe disease. The amount of virus exposure at the start of infection – the infectious dose – may increase the severity of the illness and is also. linked to a higher viral load
[0] https://youtu.be/cFB_C2ieW5I?t=771
[1] https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/sars-cov-2-viral-load-and-the-...
[2] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3...
There are people who can fit them properly. Use or misuse is a personal responsibility, like most things in life.
In my experience (as a peon employed by target) about 10% of people are wearing the correct mask (assuming they're trying to protect themselves) and appear to have it fitted properly. (CVS pharmacy people aren't included in that number because they probably received training on how to wear their masks.)
Here's the paper: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HLrm0pqBN_5bdyysOeoOBX4p...
Protection achieved by wearing facemasks of any kind was between 90% and 100%.
If the CDC said to drink your own pee, the majority of ppl wouldn't hesitate.