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Surgical masks are mostly about protecting the everyone else from the weaer, yes, but do provide a small benefit to the wearer as well as least with virions for
by reincarnate0x14 5y ago
Surgical masks are mostly about protecting the everyone else from the weaer, yes, but do provide a small benefit to the wearer as well as least with virions for influenza and coronaviruses. Depending on what study, rates of transmission reduction were 10-20% for the wearer, which doesn't sound huge but greatly reduces transmission at scale.
The filter masks like N95s (which are usable for all kinds of non-medical purposes like working around airborne particles of fiberglass or metal debris or whatever) offer a high degree of protection to the wearer as well.
- splithalf 5y agoExactly. For personal protection you use n95 or better and know it’s not perfect. If you don’t care about personal protection but want to reduce spread in a community then getting large groups to wear any face covering will help, but not nearly as much as social distancing which renders masks meaningless. For community spread, again not personal safety, it’s best to just stay home altogether. Masks are like pulling out during sex, a very imperfect way to compensate for bad behavior (not social distancing).