3 ms·

Surgical-style masks are designed to catch droplets from the wearer, and therefore prevent the wearer infecting others. They are not useful in the reverse direc

by joppy 7y ago

Surgical-style masks are designed to catch droplets from the wearer, and therefore prevent the wearer infecting others. They are not useful in the reverse direction, only those other super-tight masks are. So if you are healthy right now, you should probably not be wearing a surgical mask. However there is a use for healthy medical professionals wearing a surgical mask, which is to prevent them from becoming a vector for the virus as much as possible. Since a medical professional may see many patients in a day, and only days later learn that one of their patients was infected (and therefore they may be also), the surgical mask will be moderately effective at preventing infection of the numerous people they have seen in the meantime. Hypothetically it would be great if we could all wear masks for the protection of others, such as they have been doing in Taiwan (amongst other places). However, the shortage of masks means that we should deploy them where they are most effective, which is medical professionals. (Taiwan actually mobilised their military to ramp up mask production, it’s not like they just magically had enough masks for everyone).

endorphone 7y ago
Surgical-style masks catch droplets going in either direction (of course) -- whatever protection it offers going out it offers going in as well, which is fairly obvious from a basic analysis. Of course it won't protect against individual viruses, but for many vectors that are not actually airborne but instead are in relatively large airborne droplets of fluid -- including this virus -- it can be of some use. Certainly better than nothing. As a secondary benefit it stops you from touching the critical areas of your face. Given that we touch our face hundreds to thousands of times a day, a few adjustments of a mask aren't going to offset that. The myth that the mask purely protects others is a myth that needs to die. At this point it is truly destructive. Given that a surgical mask is only of limited protection, and not total protection, of course in actual contagion situations medication professionals should have something much better. Though we're in a situation right now where the CDC is telling medical professionals to fashion masks out of bandanas. But when you see the streets of China where everyone is wearing surgical masks, or you see some old person walking around with one, note that it absolutely does reduce their risk. Not anywhere close to completely, but to some degree.
- joppy 7y ago
  It is a nuanced issue though. There are recommendations from the World Health Organisation which say that in a community setting, for a well person “a medical mask is not required, as no evidence is available on its usefulness to protect non-sick persons“, but that a person with respiratory symptoms should wear a mask [1]. In a medical setting (or very close contact, like a few metres or so) they do help in both directions, this is standard “droplet precautions” one usually takes with a patient. So while I agree with you that it does help in the medical setting, there is really no evidence that wearing a mask on the street protects yourself, rather than protecting others. [1]: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/advice-on-the-use-of-masks-2019-ncov.pdf https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/advice-...

by joppy 7y ago

endorphone 7y ago

Surgical-style masks catch droplets going in either direction (of course) -- whatever protection it offers going out it offers going in as well, which is fairly obvious from a basic analysis. Of course it won't protect against individual viruses, but for many vectors that are not actually airborne but instead are in relatively large airborne droplets of fluid -- including this virus -- it can be of some use. Certainly better than nothing. As a secondary benefit it stops you from touching the critical areas of your face. Given that we touch our face hundreds to thousands of times a day, a few adjustments of a mask aren't going to offset that. The myth that the mask purely protects others is a myth that needs to die. At this point it is truly destructive. Given that a surgical mask is only of limited protection, and not total protection, of course in actual contagion situations medication professionals should have something much better. Though we're in a situation right now where the CDC is telling medical professionals to fashion masks out of bandanas. But when you see the streets of China where everyone is wearing surgical masks, or you see some old person walking around with one, note that it absolutely does reduce their risk. Not anywhere close to completely, but to some degree.

joppy 7y ago
It is a nuanced issue though. There are recommendations from the World Health Organisation which say that in a community setting, for a well person “a medical mask is not required, as no evidence is available on its usefulness to protect non-sick persons“, but that a person with respiratory symptoms should wear a mask [1]. In a medical setting (or very close contact, like a few metres or so) they do help in both directions, this is standard “droplet precautions” one usually takes with a patient. So while I agree with you that it does help in the medical setting, there is really no evidence that wearing a mask on the street protects yourself, rather than protecting others. [1]: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/advice-on-the-use-of-masks-2019-ncov.pdf https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/advice-...