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Masks Work. Really. We’ll Show You How

nytimes.com

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Re: Masks Work. Really. We’ll Show You How

#31

Post by 40four »

DanBC wrote: post #18

The headline says "masks work", then the article redefines masks to exclude the things that many people are wearing, and then adds further criteria that rules out most other people. It then fails to take into account research that shows that cotton masks become saturated with exhaled moisture and perspiration, and that stops their filtering properties. It also fails to take into account reductions in social distancin…

Since you sound skeptical, here is some real hard numbers from my home state.

Statistical analysis from the South Carolina Department of Health.

https://scdhec.gov/news-releases/dhecs-third-data-analysis-m...

https://scdhec.gov/news-releases/update-mask-requirement-dat...

Re: Masks Work. Really. We’ll Show You How

#32

Post by LasEspuelas »

DanBC wrote: post #18

The headline says "masks work", then the article redefines masks to exclude the things that many people are wearing, and then adds further criteria that rules out most other people. It then fails to take into account research that shows that cotton masks become saturated with exhaled moisture and perspiration, and that stops their filtering properties. It also fails to take into account reductions in social distancin…

I also fail to see how saturation leads to a decrease in filtration. I could imagine other scenarios in which efficacy of the mask would be reduced when saturated, but not because it stops filtering.

Re: Masks Work. Really. We’ll Show You How

#33

Post by newhaus1994 »

ghthor wrote: post #25

If you want to wear a mask, wear a mask. If you dont, then dont. Stop making me a bad person if I'm not sick at all and I dont wear a mask.

at this point, it should be abundantly obvious that the point of mask-wearing is collective protection from asymptomatic people. You’re a bad person because you’re actively putting others in harm if you’re not wearing a mask in public, because there is a chance you’re an asymptomatic carrier.

Re: Masks Work. Really. We’ll Show You How

#35

Post by URfejk »

More stuff on masks:

A visual demonstration why masks don't work: https://videopress.com/v/4egEyh2b

We did not identify any experimental volunteer studies that investigated whether surgical masks or N95 respirators could protect against infection: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-inf...

Face mask use in health care workers has not been demonstrated to provide benefit in terms of cold symptoms or getting colds: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19216002/

Re: Masks Work. Really. We’ll Show You How

#36

Post by mrob »

blunte wrote: post #22

Anything that in any way reduces the flow of virus particles by definition reduces the spreading of the virus. If a single globule of liquid leaving an infected person's mouth, whether due to a cough, a sneeze, or just a spitty staccato spoken statement, is a transmission opportunity. If a mask catches only one such drop, then it has lowered the risk of transmission. Hell, having all conversations with a pair of unde…

>Anything that in any way reduces the flow of virus particles by definition reduces the spreading of the virus.

It does not. It's possible for a filter to break some droplets into smaller droplets that linger in the air for longer. Evidence suggests that masks are still a net benefit, but this is by scientific study, not "by definition".

Re: Masks Work. Really. We’ll Show You How

#37

Post by xyzzy_plugh »

Quanttek wrote: post #29

This thread is quite embarrassing. The science is clear ( https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02801-8,)yet HN still argues against it. But, unlike others, I don't think this very surprising. Many (not all) HN readers, being software engineers, have a high level of pretentiousness that comes from being good in one field, and then carry over that arrogance into areas where they have no clue. Suddenly, you see so…

This site is quite honestly the laughing stock of many communities that recognize this when it happens, which is comically often.

It's quite embarrassing indeed.

Re: Masks Work. Really. We’ll Show You How

#38

Post by 40four »

This article has fancy animations and whatnot, but lacking in real data. So for anyone not convinced, here is a statistical analysis from my home state South Carolina. The numbers speak for themselves.

https://scdhec.gov/news-releases/dhecs-third-data-analysis-m...

https://scdhec.gov/news-releases/update-mask-requirement-dat...

Highlights:

When comparing the jurisdictions that have mask requirements in place to those that don't, the jurisdictions with mask requirements have shown a 44.2 percent greater decrease in the total number of cases during the five weeks after the requirements were implemented.

Jurisdictions without mask requirements have experienced an overall increase in total cases of 1.2 percent when compared to jurisdictions with a mask requirement in place.

Re: Masks Work. Really. We’ll Show You How

#39

Post by athenot »

blunte wrote: post #22

Anything that in any way reduces the flow of virus particles by definition reduces the spreading of the virus. If a single globule of liquid leaving an infected person's mouth, whether due to a cough, a sneeze, or just a spitty staccato spoken statement, is a transmission opportunity. If a mask catches only one such drop, then it has lowered the risk of transmission. Hell, having all conversations with a pair of unde…

There also appears to be a viral load issue. Exposure to a few droplets containing the virus carries risk of transmission, but exposure to many lung-fuls of contaminated air seems to have an even higher risk[1].

[1] SARS-CoV-2 viral load predicts COVID-19 mortality

Elisabet Pujadas, Fayzan Chaudhry, Russell McBride, Felix Richter, Shan Zhao, Ania Wajnberg

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2...

Re: Masks Work. Really. We’ll Show You How

#40

Post by seattle_spring »

LasEspuelas wrote: post #32
DanBC wrote: post #18

The headline says "masks work", then the article redefines masks to exclude the things that many people are wearing, and then adds further criteria that rules out most other people. It then fails to take into account research that shows that cotton masks become saturated with exhaled moisture and perspiration, and that stops their filtering properties. It also fails to take into account reductions in social distancin…

I also fail to see how saturation leads to a decrease in filtration. I could imagine other scenarios in which efficacy of the mask would be reduced when saturated, but not because it stops filtering.

Further, I fail to see how a mask could become saturated so quickly. I'm usually only wearing a mask for 5 or 10 min at a time.
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