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N95 masks are used as part of a package of PPE. That includes eye shields, gloves, and gowns. There's a complex protocol to put them on, and to take them off.
by DanBC 7y ago
N95 masks are used as part of a package of PPE. That includes eye shields, gloves, and gowns. There's a complex protocol to put them on, and to take them off.
Without the rest of the kit, and without careful adherence to correct donning and doffing, there are at best marginal benefits to mask wearing.
There's some concern that those marginal benefits are eliminated if people wearing masks go on to engage in risky behaviours. These behaviours include increased touching of their face (often without immediate handwashing afterwards), reductions in distance between people, increase in frequency of leaving the home, etc etc.
- ashtonkem 7y agoNonsense. PPE is designed to mitigate a completely different level and type of risk. PPE is designed for medical professionals who by the very nature of their job must spend hours in physical contact with known sick patients. The protocols must be strict because failure means guaranteed infection. I on the other hand have no obligation to physically touch random strangers, thank god, and don’t have to go interact with known sick people. Instead I’m trying to provide some protection for myself, and trying to work in aggregate to reduce the risk that asymptomatic carriers spread the disease while doing essential activities. “Marginal benefits” in this context is also known as “reducing R0”, which is absolutely a public health goal. Now all of that is a good argument for saving N95 masks for medical workers and relying on surgical or cloth masks for the general public, especially in the light of PPE shortages. But that is an entirely different argument from “masks don’t work”.
- DanBC 7y ago> I on the other hand have no obligation to physically touch random strangers, thank god, and don’t have to go interact with known sick people. What's the point of wearing the mask then?
- ashtonkem 7y agoGotta go get groceries at some point, and that means breathing in the air someone else exhaled.
- DanBC 7y agoWhere's your evidence that the virus is present in the air that people exhale?
- ashtonkem 7y agoWe know it’s a highly infectious respiratory disease with asymptomatic transmission, this isn’t rocket science.
- DanBC 7y agoYou've just destroyed your own argument. If you're wearing a mask to protect against droplets then maybe you'd get marginal benefits. But if your concern is virus carried in the water vapour that people exhale, then an N95 isn't nearly enough to protect you.
- JoeAltmaier 7y agoThe 'marginal benefits' have been studied and are around 90% effective. Quit spreading negativity please. Its pointless, and gains you only imaginary internet points.
- DanBC 7y ago> and are around 90% 90% what? It makes no sense to claim "90% effective". 90% reduction in numbers of people infected? Of droplets inhaled? Of droplets exhaled?
- JoeAltmaier 7y agoSomething like 90% of people with a mask, any mask, not infected after sharing space for an hour or two with sick people. In an airplane. Pretty solid protection.