8 ms·

Why do you think that? COVID-19 has become more infectious over the course of the pandemic, with a strain that results in higher viral loads becoming predomina

Why do you think that? COVID-19 has become more infectious over the course of the pandemic, with a strain that results in higher viral loads becoming predominant: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32697968/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32697968/ It's hard to compare across countries. But mask-wearing Japan and South Korea have higher rates of flu and pneumonia deaths than the US/Canada/Europe: https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/influenza-pneumonia/by-country/ https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/influenza... As surgical masks are much less than 100% effective even in ideal conditions, let alone actual wear, it wouldn't be surprising if more usage of them would just be an evolutionary pressure for flu to have higher viral output. Quite similar to how widespread use of less than 100% effective anti-bacterial agents just results in bacteria evolving resistance, reducing the usefulness of those agents for the most vulnerable part of the population who need them most.

ethbr0 6y ago
> It's hard to compare across countries. But mask-wearing Japan and South Korea have higher rates of flu and pneumonia deaths than the US/Canada/Europe Possibly confounded by disparate population densities. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population_density#Density_of_the_most_populous_countries https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_depend...
- petertodd 6y ago
  Belgium, the Netherlands, and Israel are all slightly less dense than South Korea, and more dense than Japan. Yet all three have significantly lower flu/pneumonia death rates than either South Korea or Japan. Bangladesh also has a slightly lower flu/pneumonia death rate than Japan, even though it has 3x the density (though Bangladesh has a somewhat lower life expectancy (72) than Japan (84); Belgium, Netherlands, and Israel are all fairly close (80+) to Japan).
  - appleseed538 6y ago
    Do you have a source for that?

ethbr0 6y ago

> It's hard to compare across countries. But mask-wearing Japan and South Korea have higher rates of flu and pneumonia deaths than the US/Canada/Europe Possibly confounded by disparate population densities. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_population_density#Density_of_the_most_populous_countries https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_depend...

petertodd 6y ago
Belgium, the Netherlands, and Israel are all slightly less dense than South Korea, and more dense than Japan. Yet all three have significantly lower flu/pneumonia death rates than either South Korea or Japan. Bangladesh also has a slightly lower flu/pneumonia death rate than Japan, even though it has 3x the density (though Bangladesh has a somewhat lower life expectancy (72) than Japan (84); Belgium, Netherlands, and Israel are all fairly close (80+) to Japan).
- appleseed538 6y ago
  Do you have a source for that?