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Comment by sampo | Hacker News Reader

> Covid: I took this seriously relatively early on and bought a half mask respirator on 2020-01-26 and was using N95s I'd already had on hand for the week before (IMO, the case that covid was airborne and that air filtration would help was very strong based on the existing literature on SARS contact tracing, filtration of viruses from air filters, and viral load)

I think this is remarkable, how common people with some level of scientific literacy were able to get this correct much better than the whole medical establishment.

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> I think this is remarkable, how common people with some level of scientific literacy were able to get this correct much better than the whole medical establishment.

I don't think it's remarkable at all. Common people with some level of scientific literacy took basically all kind of stances about masks. Some of them had to be right in the end.

'The medical establishment' otoh had to come to one single common recommendation and as it's only one there's a chance of failure (there were, ofc. individual medical professional and scientists who got it right as well).

Yes, and because `the medical establishment` cannot risk that failure, they have to be much surer.

And they have to be able to communicate it in an effective way such that people believe it... AND can act on it. AND can act on it in a way that doesn't trigger panic or totally mess with supply chains needed to get proper equipment to front-line responders.

like Lawrence from azangru's quote above, the medical establishment needs to consider many more factors than 'common people' before making a public statement.

I wouldn’t say “whole medical establishment”. All Asian countries and their medical teams were using masks by that time.

Another note to the same quote: for me it looks like classic half mask respirator is not that "good" against COVID, as it only filters on the intake, not the way, out. At least my cheap one does. Therefor, while it prevents you from getting it, it does not stop you from spreading it. Right?

Sure, that might very well be what you aim for, but from my understanding, FFP2 should prevent both, at least theoretically, since wearing them correctly is another point of failure.

The medical establishment knew N95s were critical from SARS and, at least in, North America had plenty of circumstantial evidence that COVID was, at least, somewhat reduced by masks; as did the author

Further, my former co-workers from my stint in HIV testing were ALL saying wear masks and don't count on a vaccine being available until 2021 at the very earliest. They all started self isolating very early.

The whole "medical establishment" DID know this.

This was a failure of leadership of the medical establishment to either listen to the rest of the medical establishment or to effectively push back on the political leadership.

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