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Masks4All: Wear a mask to stop the spread of Coronavirus (Jeremy Howard)

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Re: Masks4All: Wear a mask to stop the spread of Coronavirus (Jeremy Howard)

#91

Post by spoovy »

stronglikedan wrote: post #13
nyxtom wrote: post #3

US Surgeon General continues to recommend against this for some reason

> for some reason They recommend against wearing medical to help cull the shortage, and they recommend against wearing non-medical because they can provide a false sense of security, especially when worn incorrectly. Both very good reasons, IMO. I just assume that anyone wearing a mask is doing so because they're infected, as per the recommendations, and I'm giving them a wide berth.

I'd disagree with the false sense of security line. Why would someone who cares enough to go to the effort of wearing a mask then go and not wash their hands? A positive correlation between the two seems more likely than negative to me. Also this argument is trotted out regularly by "experts" in the car manufacturing industry whenever new safety technology is invented and as far as I can tell is always proven years later to be bullshit. For examples see seat belts, air bags, traction control, ABS, AWD.

Re: Masks4All: Wear a mask to stop the spread of Coronavirus (Jeremy Howard)

#92

Post by jmiskovic »

IgorPartola wrote: post #20
TheSoftwareGuy wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's stupid. N95 masks are in short supply and so should be reserved for healthcare workers and those caring for the infected but sugical masks can still help slow the spread. People should be weraring those in public. But the only messaging from the top is not to wear the masks

There seems to be evidence that masks can make your exposure worse by trapping some amount of air containing the virus under the mask, making you more exposed. If you are sick they can protect others around you, but if you are healthy, less so. In that context the flip of public opinion makes some sense: as we go from assuming most people are healthy to assuming most people are sick, masks for everyone in public can…

I don't have any medical training, and speak only from perspective of common sense.

Your argument about trapping virus inside the mask is not very convincing. If you are putting a physical barrier between your respiratory system and air in high-risk areas (general stores, pharmacies and public transportation), then statistically there should be far more prevented contacts with viruses than trapped virus particles.

The incorrectly fitted masks should provide some benefit over no mask, so this doesn't seem as a good argument for not wearing masks. I would think that even putting shirt over nose gives some protection as it prevents touching face and diminishes odds of contamination with spit particles. Besides, the article is about home-made masks and not N95 masks.

The only convincing reason against masks is that they give false sense of security, so they shouldn't be the _only_ measure. Washing hands, wearing masks and physical distancing can only be beneficial.

Re: Masks4All: Wear a mask to stop the spread of Coronavirus (Jeremy Howard)

#93

Post by throwaway32120 »

stronglikedan wrote: post #13
nyxtom wrote: post #3

US Surgeon General continues to recommend against this for some reason

> for some reason They recommend against wearing medical to help cull the shortage, and they recommend against wearing non-medical because they can provide a false sense of security, especially when worn incorrectly. Both very good reasons, IMO. I just assume that anyone wearing a mask is doing so because they're infected, as per the recommendations, and I'm giving them a wide berth.

I've seen no evidence that masks give people a false sense of security. If anything, it seems to be the opposite. People report that when they wear masks, people move away from them, and employers have asked them not to wear them because they might make the customers feel unsafe. They're a giant reminder that things aren't normal and that we're in the middle of a massive pandemic. This is a good thing.

If mask use becomes mandatory, will there still be groups of people standing in the middle of supermarket shouting to each other? Sure, just like there are now. The difference is those people will at least have masks on.

Re: Masks4All: Wear a mask to stop the spread of Coronavirus (Jeremy Howard)

#94

Post by btbuildem »

nitrogen wrote: post #5

Has the mask supply situation improved? I still see empty shelves for things like gloves, sanitizers, etc.

No. This calls on everyone to make their own. Lots of video tutorials, and some examples are dead simple (two rubber bands and a paper towel, if you have to).

Re: Masks4All: Wear a mask to stop the spread of Coronavirus (Jeremy Howard)

#95

Post by kriro »

My mother just finished sowing 100 washable ones so they can use them in the elderly care home she works in (she used the guide provided by the city of Essen, Germany). They still have some left but estimated they'll run out soon and asked for volunteers to sow them in their free time. She and a coworker combined to make about 200 in a couple of days which should be enough to cover all shifts.

While I was thinking about my homemade one I thought that steam ironing is probably a good and quick way to disinfect (for those that have an iron).

Re: Masks4All: Wear a mask to stop the spread of Coronavirus (Jeremy Howard)

#96

Post by seltzered_ »

Note: hn has been flagging mask discussions

See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22733249

And https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22706216

I'm not too frustrated about this because there's a lot of confusion on mask usage, people buying masks that doctors need, etc.

Re: Masks4All: Wear a mask to stop the spread of Coronavirus (Jeremy Howard)

#97

Post by btbuildem »

brenden2 wrote: post #24

Is there any real evidence that masks provide any value for healthy people (excluding health care workers)? All I've seen are anecdotes from internet armchair experts.

Yes. They provide value by protecting others from you. You don't know if you're "healthy" because even asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic cases are contagious. You wear the mask to protect others, not yourself. Others wear masks to protect you.

Re: Masks4All: Wear a mask to stop the spread of Coronavirus (Jeremy Howard)

#98

Post by peterwwillis »

If you're not infected, a mask doesn't cover your eyes, so you can still get the virus in the same way you would by breathing near an infected person. And you're probably going to think you're safe, and then touch an infected surface, and then touch your face/eyes. Congrats, your dinky non-N95 mask was pointless.

If you are infected, just use any mask. Your breath still escapes from an N95 mask's corners, spreading the virus nearby, and probably onto your hands. Sure, it won't projectile-travel as far, but it's still spilling out onto nearby surfaces/people.

In Asia, face masks have been trendy ever since the avian flu. But tons of studies showed that this had no significant effect on reducing people getting sick, because eyes, and touching face. The masks are just a psychological thing at this point.

Re: Masks4All: Wear a mask to stop the spread of Coronavirus (Jeremy Howard)

#99

Post by mathieuh »

saturday14 wrote: post #14
ardy42 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I wonder if this will lead to people in the west wearing surgical masks during flu season like people do in Asia. Normalizing masks will also help fight facial recognition. IIRC, the Chinese systems have trouble with people who are wearing a surgical mask and sunglasses. No attention-grabbing dazzle makeup required.

Until the government bans masks in public places in the interest of, you know "public safety" once the covid-19 crisis blows over. It sucks that we even need to think about wearing masks to escape facial recognition.

I live in Northern Ireland, and until very recently, if I saw a person with a mask on I immediately assumed they were up to no good.

Re: Masks4All: Wear a mask to stop the spread of Coronavirus (Jeremy Howard)

#100

Post by lecanucker »

anon102010 wrote: post #68
stronglikedan wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Non-medical masks don't keep stuff out. They just keep stuff in, so the only reason to wear it is to not spread your water droplets when you sneeze or cough. Medical masks keep stuff out, but are in short supply. I think I'm helping more by going with the recommendations and not wearing a mask. Some people feel better wearing them, and that's fine too.

False - hand to nose mouth contact is THE primary vector for this illness - masks are very effective in reducing this. Please stop spreading misinformation as it could lead to deaths.

> hand to nose mouth contact is THE primary vector for this illness

Do you have a source for this? It's contrary to most of what I've read (droplets through air is primary vector).

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