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* Aerosol COVID risk is basically proven, but we don't know if it is a major mode of spread. It does seem to be related to superspreader events. * Deployment o

* Aerosol COVID risk is basically proven, but we don't know if it is a major mode of spread. It does seem to be related to superspreader events. * Deployment of air purifiers would be a trivial expense relative to any other economic harms of COVID19. It's mostly a question of policy catching up to science. * Large droplets are a confirmed major source of spread. Cloth masks help reduce those. They're not full-proof even there, but they're $2. It's a no-brainer ROI. * Even with aerosol, the risk is reduced by cloth masks. Some aerosol comes from large droplets evaporating.

ashtonkem 6y ago
Cloth masks do a better job at preventing you from spreading COVID than they do of preventing you from catching COVID. In small confined spaces I would not want to depend on 100% mask compliance by all people to keep me safe, and I’d want a N95.
- woofie11 6y ago
  In a large, unconfined space, I would also not want to rely just on masks. It's a public health issue. If I've reduced the odds of catching COVID19 by even, say, 30%, that's an incredible impact on how much COVID19 spreads, for the cost of a $5 mask and a minor inconvenience. The trick is to get R0 under 1, so we have exponential decline rather than exponential growth. Even if it's above 1, if we can bring the exponent down, it's huge. There's no sane argument that masks don't do that. You might want an N95, and I might want one too, but there aren't enough to go around. For the most part, easiest thing to do is to not go out in public.
  - kwhitefoot 6y ago
    > If I've reduced the odds of catching COVID19 by even, say, 30%, Given that the likelihood of catching it from a brief encounter with a random passer by is in fact quite small the idea that a mask could reduce the odds meaningfully in large unconfined spaces seems unlikely. We do not wear masks here in Norway but we do keep our distance (except for usual idiots at parties, etc.). Recent clusters of infection here have all been traced to people who were in close contact with large numbers of people for hours (wedding parties, cruise ships, etc.). Then perhaps diligent use of masks might have helped but just not holding the party helps more. > For the most part, easiest thing to do is to not go out in public. This together with simple measures like making sure one washes ones hands seems to be what is working here.

ashtonkem 6y ago

Cloth masks do a better job at preventing you from spreading COVID than they do of preventing you from catching COVID. In small confined spaces I would not want to depend on 100% mask compliance by all people to keep me safe, and I’d want a N95.

woofie11 6y ago
In a large, unconfined space, I would also not want to rely just on masks. It's a public health issue. If I've reduced the odds of catching COVID19 by even, say, 30%, that's an incredible impact on how much COVID19 spreads, for the cost of a $5 mask and a minor inconvenience. The trick is to get R0 under 1, so we have exponential decline rather than exponential growth. Even if it's above 1, if we can bring the exponent down, it's huge. There's no sane argument that masks don't do that. You might want an N95, and I might want one too, but there aren't enough to go around. For the most part, easiest thing to do is to not go out in public.
- kwhitefoot 6y ago
  > If I've reduced the odds of catching COVID19 by even, say, 30%, Given that the likelihood of catching it from a brief encounter with a random passer by is in fact quite small the idea that a mask could reduce the odds meaningfully in large unconfined spaces seems unlikely. We do not wear masks here in Norway but we do keep our distance (except for usual idiots at parties, etc.). Recent clusters of infection here have all been traced to people who were in close contact with large numbers of people for hours (wedding parties, cruise ships, etc.). Then perhaps diligent use of masks might have helped but just not holding the party helps more. > For the most part, easiest thing to do is to not go out in public. This together with simple measures like making sure one washes ones hands seems to be what is working here.