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Yesterday, the White House stated that they are about to issue revised guidelines around masks likely today or tomorrow. They are likely to advise people to wea

by oski 7y ago

Yesterday, the White House stated that they are about to issue revised guidelines around masks likely today or tomorrow. They are likely to advise people to wear cloth masks. At this point, I don't think anyone is really arguing that "masks don't work." Dr. Birx is worried that people will see masks as a substitute for other measures like social distancing, hand washing, and avoiding touching your face. There is a growing "grassroots" movement advocating that everyone wear homemade masks -- #masks4all Makes sense not to wait for the CDC on this on. Every day makes a huge difference. See https://shouldiwearafacemask.com https://shouldiwearafacemask.com for a summary.

ceejayoz 7y ago
> At this point, I don't think anyone is really arguing that "masks don't work." Yes, it's becoming an untenable position now. People were taking a very different tone a month ago with "we should all be wearing masks when out" suggestions. Hell, a week ago, HN was happily flagging pro-mask stuff off the front page with regularity.
Izkata 7y ago
> Dr. Birx is worried that people will see masks as a substitute for other measures like social distancing, hand washing, and avoiding touching your face. Just one point, but I have an interesting observation here: Earlier this week I finally found some masks, and last night wore one to the grocery store for the first time. It's about a 10-minute walk each way, and I encounter 5-6 dog-walkers in that distance. Usually the dog-walkers don't bother with social distancing, but while I was wearing the mask about half of them went out of their way to go around me.
- oski 7y ago
  Yeah, they were probably worried that you were sick. But overall, it helps signal to everyone that you are taking precautions seriously. And the more people who wear masks, the less stigma there is associated with wearing them. The macro impact can be huge: "If 50% of the population were to wear masks, only 50% of the population would be infected by the virus. Once 80% of the population wears a mask, the outbreak can be stopped immediately." https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258525804_Testing_the_Efficacy_of_Homemade_Masks_Would_They_Protect_in_an_Influenza_Pandemic https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258525804_Testing_t...
bagacrap 7y ago
The question is why it was ever discouraged, and why it's taken so long for authorities to admit they were wrong. (Supply shortage seems like a terrible excuse to me given the simplicity of masks and the DPA etc.) It is incredibly obvious that masks do something and that their use helps explain the successful response to the pandemic in Singapore and Korea. It's also something that will need to be mandated to have an effect. Authorities are all too happy to order workers to stay home and create incredible hardship for themselves, but ignore common sense measures like mask usage.

by oski 7y ago

ceejayoz 7y ago

> At this point, I don't think anyone is really arguing that "masks don't work." Yes, it's becoming an untenable position now. People were taking a very different tone a month ago with "we should all be wearing masks when out" suggestions. Hell, a week ago, HN was happily flagging pro-mask stuff off the front page with regularity.

Izkata 7y ago

> Dr. Birx is worried that people will see masks as a substitute for other measures like social distancing, hand washing, and avoiding touching your face. Just one point, but I have an interesting observation here: Earlier this week I finally found some masks, and last night wore one to the grocery store for the first time. It's about a 10-minute walk each way, and I encounter 5-6 dog-walkers in that distance. Usually the dog-walkers don't bother with social distancing, but while I was wearing the mask about half of them went out of their way to go around me.

oski 7y ago
Yeah, they were probably worried that you were sick. But overall, it helps signal to everyone that you are taking precautions seriously. And the more people who wear masks, the less stigma there is associated with wearing them. The macro impact can be huge: "If 50% of the population were to wear masks, only 50% of the population would be infected by the virus. Once 80% of the population wears a mask, the outbreak can be stopped immediately." https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258525804_Testing_the_Efficacy_of_Homemade_Masks_Would_They_Protect_in_an_Influenza_Pandemic https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258525804_Testing_t...

bagacrap 7y ago

The question is why it was ever discouraged, and why it's taken so long for authorities to admit they were wrong. (Supply shortage seems like a terrible excuse to me given the simplicity of masks and the DPA etc.) It is incredibly obvious that masks do something and that their use helps explain the successful response to the pandemic in Singapore and Korea. It's also something that will need to be mandated to have an effect. Authorities are all too happy to order workers to stay home and create incredible hardship for themselves, but ignore common sense measures like mask usage.