usken65

I wonder why they don’t just wear a mask?

usken65

And so Ron doesn’t cry this came in an email. I don’t know origin.

DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

to quote a line from "Hero" Dustin Hoffman, "Just remember son, it's all BS. Just choose the level of BS you're comfortable with ..."

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Pretty silly. Of course, if you are doing research and exposing yourself directly to a virus, you wear full hazmat. When you are going to be out among other people, masks, along with distancing and hygiene, are effective in slowing the spread of the virus. And as a matter of fact, bandanas don't work as well as multilayer cloth masks.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

Here we go again.

YOUR mask is not intended to protect YOU, it is intended to protect everyone else.

The last stats I heard were that by changing no behavior, the average COVID infected individual will contaminate 6.1 others.

Wearing, by everyone, a mask will reduce that by about 75%. If 90% of the population comply, that's a 67.5% reduction. This alone reduces the contamination rate to 1.9825 to 1.

Social distancing has a very similar effect and reduces the contamination rate, if practiced in the same numbers, to under 0.75 to 1.

When the contamination rate drops below 1:1 the virus is in retreat rather than runaway expansion.

Viruses will never be taken to a 0 to rate, but a vaccine can build the immune system of the general population to the level that the effects of of infection are lessened.

In that light, COVID is very similar to influenza ... we have never removed it from the world, but it is no longer the ramen plague of yore.

elliott937 Loc: St. Louis

LWW, you are doing an excellent job in your explanation. Since I actually teach since (physics) and have Biology teachers around me, they agree with me in that (a) a mask is to protect others, not you. And (b) you can protect others AND yourself if you wear KN95 masks which are even available at most Ace hardware stores.

One more note, do not, under any circumstances, buy and wear one of that damn mask that has a valve. It permits full exhale, hence protect no human being. I wish sellers would stop selling those dangerous masks.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

Thanks, I'm amazed at how few people get it.

elliott937 Loc: St. Louis

We are currently in a politically charged landscape where everyone can do everything, with few or no consequences. Hopefully that will change soon.

srt101fan

Why do people keep saying that masks are to protect others but not yourself? Filtration works in both directions - breathing in and out. Yes, the flow dynamics are different, but a form of filtration takes place when air passes in both directions.

Yes, cloth masks are most effective when worn by an infected person. They contain the contaminated droplets expelled via sneezes and coughs and agitated speech. Since we can be infected and not know it, filtering our outgoing breath is certainly a valid reason to wear a mask.

But masks also protect the wearer. The viral threat challenge to the mask can come in different sizes. We know the virus is not dispersed in the air as individual particles. The smallest challenge is in the form of aerosolized clusters of virus particles. But there could be aerosols of different sizes. And then we can have droplets of different sizes.

Cloth masks cannot filter out the smallest aerosols. Depending on the size of the aerosolized viral clusters, they may be able to filter the larger ones. And we know they do a pretty good job of stopping droplets.

So when you are out in public, what threat challenge along this spectrum of sizes could you encounter?

If somebody knows, please tell me. In the meantime I know that even cloth masks provide a level of protection and can significantly reduce the risk of getting infected.

I'm not sure why you mentioned KN95 masks. They're very similar to N95 masks.

You're absolutely right about masks with valves!

Dan Thornton Loc: Corpus Christi, Texas

Very funny picture, and yes I get that sick people should wear a mask or not go out in public.

elliott937 Loc: St. Louis

You are correct in that N95 and KN95 have nearly identical properties. In my science "sphere of influence", I'm acclimated to knowledge of KN95. I see that Amazon offers both. I would respect the N95 the same as KN95.

elliott937 Loc: St. Louis

But keep in mind Dan, people can possibly be infected by Covid19 and not be aware of it, or show any symptoms. That is the very reason why everyone should be wearing a mask. This won't go on 'forever'. There will be an end, of sorts. But that won't happen for about anther two years. But we will get there.

David Martin Loc: Cary, NC

N95 means the mask is certified by NIOSH in the USA.
KN95 designates certification in China.
Due to shortage of N95 masks, CDC and NIOSH have authorized the substitution of KN95.

redlegfrog

Subject: More Media lies!!!!


The MSM was reporting over and over that no one was wearing masks in Sturgis during the bike rally.....







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Wallen Loc: Middle Earth