Wuhan Virus Watch: New England Journal of Medicine – Wearing mask outside health care facilities offers little protection

Legal Insurrection ^ | May 31, 2020 | Leslie Eastman

[dalight]

The New England Journal of Medicine has published an article stating that wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little protection from infection and assesses their true value as anxiety alleviation.

We know that wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection. Public health authorities define a significant exposure to Covid-19 as face-to-face contact within 6 feet with a patient with symptomatic Covid-19 that is sustained for at least a few minutes (and some say more than 10 minutes or even 30 minutes). The chance of catching Covid-19 from a passing interaction in a public space is therefore minimal. In many cases, the desire for widespread masking is a reflexive reaction to anxiety over the pandemic.

The calculus may be different, however, in health care settings. First and foremost, a mask is a core component of the personal protective equipment (PPE) clinicians need when caring for symptomatic patients with respiratory viral infections, in conjunction with gown, gloves, and eye protection. Masking in this context is already part of routine operations for most hospitals. What is less clear is whether a mask offers any further protection in health care settings in which the wearer has no direct interactions with symptomatic patients.

…It is also clear that masks serve symbolic roles. Masks are not only tools, they are also talismans that may help increase health care workers’ perceived sense of safety, well-being, and trust in their hospitals. Although such reactions may not be strictly logical, we are all subject to fear and anxiety, especially during times of crisis.

[dalight]

It almost seems if they designed these rules to make the maximum number of people sick.

[dalight]

The issue there is infection control preventing the Medical staff from carrying infections from one patient to another. This is what “Staff infection” means.

Surgical masks intended to trap the moisture and particles from the wearer so that they don’t spread infections. The science on this is pretty good. They do much less to nothing to stop infections from attacking the wearer. This is why when medical workers suit up they wear protective gear plastic face covers and N95 tight fitting face masks.

This article from the University of Minnestota is much more negative.
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/commentary-masks-all-covid-19-not-based-sound-data

But, I can post articles if you like tht are supportive of face masks as significantly blocking the transmission from the wearer. But, leaks are the issue.. and the general public wears the things so that they are all leaks all of the time.

[dalight]

Boy have I run into them. Hard to imagine they are here on FR.. But I think fear is key to this. If you look, their dates can be some of the oldest members here. So, thats that.

If I am being that insulting.. perhaps I need to dial it back. I know one geezer that really got under my feathers and I wasn’t as kind as I should be.