I posted this link down-thread but wanted to be sure you saw it; https://img.apmcdn.org/6b486323329122674a9b5fbfdcf2e51f9ad83f8d/uncropped/8e1875-20200626-covi

I posted this link down-thread but wanted to be sure you saw it; https://img.apmcdn.org/6b486323329122674a9b5fbfdcf2e51f9ad83f8d/uncropped/8e1875-20200626-covid-cases-age.png https://img.apmcdn.org/6b486323329122674a9b5fbfdcf2e51f9ad83... IMO it’s unquestionable that mass protests contributed to the spread of COVID, it’s just apparently uncouth to say so. It may be true that during daylight hours outside, being outside on a sunny day the UV dampens the virus. But we know that the virus mostly doesn’t transmit on surfaces it transmits in suspended droplets. It also can be absorbed through the eyes not just nasal passages. Certainly evening mass protests with people in close proximity absolutely spreads COVID. I don’t think anyone can seriously argue otherwise. All else being equal, having everyone wear a mask versus not probably reduces the R value at least somewhat, but this is assuming wearing masks doesn’t also lead to an increase in risky behavior. If people wearing a mask feel they are less likely to get or spread COVID and therefore alter their behavior, then that new behavior works to some extent to either partially nullify, or even completely nullify any benefit or conceivably makes matters worse. But frankly this mask discussion misses the forest for the trees. Somehow we went from “flatten the curve” to “minimize all cases” to “shutdown everything until it’s gone”. We cannot continue to shutdown everything, we’ve already paid about $10 trillion trying to do that for just a few months and now have 40 million unemployed. People who feel they are vulnerable should be provided the support and services they need to protect themselves and avoid exposure. Stricter policies should reinforce these protections for the most vulnerable populations, like nursing home visitation and screening employees in contact with the elderly. The IFR is so massively skewed to the elderly, we need to be 100% focused on protecting that population. For those under 70 the quarantine “cure” is worse than the disease.