3 ms·

Again, if you read the advice ... "However, the following potential risks should be carefully taken into account in any decision-making process: • self-contam

by nelox 7y ago

Again, if you read the advice ... "However, the following potential risks should be carefully taken into account in any decision-making process: • self-contamination that can occur by touching and reusing contaminated mask • depending on type of mask used, potential breathing difficulties • false sense of security, leading to potentially less adherence to other preventive measures such as physical distancing and hand hygiene • diversion of mask supplies and consequent shortage of mask for health care workers • diversion of resources from effective public health measures, such as hand hygiene"

M4v3R 7y ago
Three of those points can be addressed by proper education by the authorities. And last two points have nothing to do with risks of wearing a mask and more to do with how authorities in a country are addressing the situation.
yellowapple 7y ago
This advice seems to be directed at wearing masks to prevent oneself from becoming infected, but that ain't the point of having as many people as possible wear masks while out and about; rather, it's that you can be infectious without ever knowing it (i.e. you're asymptomatic) and wearing a mask (and gloves if you've got 'em) helps significantly mitigate the risk of you spreading it to people around you. That the WHO would advise against the widespread wearing of masks goes to show how behind-the-curve they continue to be throughout this pandemic; this has been widely recommended by pretty much every other authority for weeks now. Also, "diversion of mask supplies" is a ridiculous excuse. Even an improvised mask (bandana, something handmade, etc.) is better than nothing at all. And if you already have full-blown N95s, might as well use 'em, taking steps¹ to sterilize them and maximize their reusability (I have two N95s, one previously used long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and one new one from my grandpa who found a box of 'em with his tools; I cycle between them, giving each at least 72 hours between uses per the rule of thumb that SARS-CoV-2 won't survive longer than that on an N95 mask, and if I ever need to reuse one sooner I'm content with sacrificing my oven for decontamination purposes. I also have some work gloves that I similarly cycle through, but I also recognize that these ain't designed to resist much contamination so I still take care to avoid needlessly touching things.). ---- ¹: https://www.msn.com/en-xl/lifestyle/coronavirus/how-to-clean-and-reuse-an-n95-mask/ar-BB12lRjb https://www.msn.com/en-xl/lifestyle/coronavirus/how-to-clean...

by nelox 7y ago

M4v3R 7y ago

Three of those points can be addressed by proper education by the authorities. And last two points have nothing to do with risks of wearing a mask and more to do with how authorities in a country are addressing the situation.

yellowapple 7y ago

This advice seems to be directed at wearing masks to prevent oneself from becoming infected, but that ain't the point of having as many people as possible wear masks while out and about; rather, it's that you can be infectious without ever knowing it (i.e. you're asymptomatic) and wearing a mask (and gloves if you've got 'em) helps significantly mitigate the risk of you spreading it to people around you. That the WHO would advise against the widespread wearing of masks goes to show how behind-the-curve they continue to be throughout this pandemic; this has been widely recommended by pretty much every other authority for weeks now. Also, "diversion of mask supplies" is a ridiculous excuse. Even an improvised mask (bandana, something handmade, etc.) is better than nothing at all. And if you already have full-blown N95s, might as well use 'em, taking steps¹ to sterilize them and maximize their reusability (I have two N95s, one previously used long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and one new one from my grandpa who found a box of 'em with his tools; I cycle between them, giving each at least 72 hours between uses per the rule of thumb that SARS-CoV-2 won't survive longer than that on an N95 mask, and if I ever need to reuse one sooner I'm content with sacrificing my oven for decontamination purposes. I also have some work gloves that I similarly cycle through, but I also recognize that these ain't designed to resist much contamination so I still take care to avoid needlessly touching things.). ---- ¹: https://www.msn.com/en-xl/lifestyle/coronavirus/how-to-clean-and-reuse-an-n95-mask/ar-BB12lRjb https://www.msn.com/en-xl/lifestyle/coronavirus/how-to-clean...