Those Damn Cloth Masks

[tumbling.dice]

I was wondering about those cloth face masks people are wearing in public, and that I still have to wear occasionally where I work. I just don't see how those things can make any significant difference in the spread of COVID-19.

I found this study from 2015 on the NIH website. The results and conclusions are not surprising. Cloth masks showed the highest rate of infectious outcomes compared to medical masks and the control group for clinical respiratory illness, influenza-like illness and laboratory-confirmed respiratory virus infection. The finding of a much higher rate of infection in the cloth mask could be interpreted as harm caused by cloth masks, efficacy of medical masks, or most likely a combination of both.

The researcher go on to caution against the use of cloth masks. Moisture retention, reuse of cloth masks and poor filtration may result in increased risk of infection.

Here's the link:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4420971/

[Jessica]

i won't wear any kind of mask unless it's forced upon me.

edit: i just typed that without much thought and want to add for clarity... it wouldn't bother me to wear one in a place i had to, i should have said "mandatory" rather than "forced upon me", and i don't think people are idiots for wearing them. i just wouldn't think about it, unless i had to.

[mallyboppa]

I will not go down under the ground

’Cause somebody tells me that death’s comin’ ’round

An’ I will not carry myself down to die

When I go to my grave my head will be high

Let me die in my footsteps

Before I go down under the ground

[Audiogen]

That study tests the efficacy of cloth masks as Personal Protective Equipment. The intent of masks is to limit transmission not to prevent yourself from catching COVID. There was a slogan I heard when the masks idea was being considered which was "My mask protects you, your mask protects me" which I wish would have gained a bit more traction.

Although I've seen a couple studies discussing transmission with non N-95 masks, one of them concluded masks do work, the other was inconclusive.

[Jessica]

That study tests the efficacy of cloth masks as Personal Protective Equipment. The intent of masks is to limit transmission not to prevent yourself from catching COVID. There was a slogan I heard when the masks idea was being considered which was "My mask protects you, your mask protects me" which I wish would have gained a bit more traction.

Although I've seen a couple studies discussing transmission with non N-95 masks, one of them concluded masks do work, the other was inconclusive.

i think it gained plenty of traction.. here anyway. there was a big full page advert telling me that in the newspaper magazine supplement just yesterday.

[Youfreeme]

The literature is somewhat mixed-I know that they are mandatory in hospitals and hospitals with less PPE access have higher rates of Covid (if we are talking about masks in general)

Cloth masks, I dunno--definitely the least safe of all mask types. I have some surgical grade ones that I wear where it is required. I don't get upset about having to wear one, it's a relatively minor inconvenience and I'm only in public places for brief amount of time. It's weird how it has become almost a political issue.

[Jessica]

It's weird how it has become almost a political issue.

yeah, i kind of forgot that when i typed my original post.
i'm going to edit in an additional comment, haha.

[Youfreeme]

You all in Europe and other areas have done a much better job at curbing the spread than we have in the US. Most folks here are frustrating with mask wearing and distancing and are just saying "fuck it". Things are escalating quickly again.

I'm somewhere in the middle. I try my best to respect older folks and the more vulnerable, but I could be better about keeping distant. I try and let people know that I am at high risk of contracting the virus and if they are ok with that, then that is on them.

[Jessica]

seems reasonable.
i'm not sure any good job we've been doing is going to last. people are pretty much saying "fuck it" here, too.
judging by.. what was it.. half a million people flock to beaches in somewhere-or-other.
and the Liverpool football celebrations seemed to be taking place in a non-covid reality.

europe is doing orders of magnitude better than the us, except the uk, because the government etc, and spain, italy and sweden a couple of places i forget, on account of randomness, except in the case of sweden, which was a little too confident in the science that didn't exist. for most of us though, this is like any other year. so far. fingers crossed

https://www.euromomo.eu/graphs-and-maps/

[Tropical Breeze]

I feel like it provides a false sense of security. I wear it only in stores. The only people around me at times are my family. Other than that, keeping my distance is very easy for me.

Maybe we can ban together and start a "no mask matter" movement.

[Undies]

i won't wear any kind of mask unless it's forced upon me.

you must be no fun at halloween.

[Jessica]

you have a real talent for looking at sentences from every angle and for every meaning! shut up! i'm always fun. the fun never stops at Driftland.

[Fun]

Haha! I mean, I agree with Drift, you do have a tendency to take things out of context, but it is funny...mostly.

[Audiogen]

A lady voiced her displeasure about wearing masks the other day here in Cali.

[Jessica]

oh that's just lame. i am not choosing to wear one but i wouldn't expect to go somewhere it's mandatory and not do it. it's not that big of a deal.
also the breathing problems thing i don't buy, because i saw a video this morning of a woman who has a medical problem and has inhalers and stuff, and also a thing that went on her finger showing her oxygen level. she demonstrated wearing three different types of mask, including a proper medical one, and it didn't affect her oxygen levels.

[eggsprog]

My wife doesn't even get an N95 mask when she goes into a room with a covid positive patient (although that is a very rare occurrence). She gets a surgical mask and a face shield. They only use the N95s when they are doing a procedure that could involve liquid becoming aerosolized.

From what I've read, the cloth masks basically stop droplets from flying from your mouth, so they are only effective if most of the people around you also wear them.

[Jessica]

That study tests the efficacy of cloth masks as Personal Protective Equipment. The intent of masks is to limit transmission not to prevent yourself from catching COVID. There was a slogan I heard when the masks idea was being considered which was "My mask protects you, your mask protects me" which I wish would have gained a bit more traction.

Although I've seen a couple studies discussing transmission with non N-95 masks, one of them concluded masks do work, the other was inconclusive.

Not that I'm thinking you'd disbelieve me but I wanted to show you anyway.

[Vanilla Gorilla]

[Vanilla Gorilla]