Everyone wore masks during the 1918 flu pandemic. They were useless.

Washington Post ^ | April 2, 2020 | Eliza Mcgraw

[delta7]

People called them “flu fences” and “chin sails.”........ During the influenza pandemic of 1918, officials often advised Americans to wear face masks in public. Doctors believed that masks could help prevent “spray infections,” according to historian John M. Barry in his book, “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History.” Enforced by local health officials, the facial coverings grew routine. Often, Red Cross chapters fashioned and distributed the masks that were “seen everywhere and would become a symbol of the epidemic,” Barry wrote. Americans used the masks as a method of retaining some normalcy during a pandemic that killed at least 675,000 Americans and 50 million people worldwide. If directed to wear a mask, homemade worked. “Take a piece of gauze the size of a sheet of typewriter paper,” said instructions in the Atlanta Constitution. “Fold it twice, so that it will fit an envelope. Then attach strings to the four corners and tie these strings at the back of the neck. The mask covers the nose and mouth, so that the wearer breathes through four thicknesses of gauze. A clean handkerchief is just as good as the gauze.” Now, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is debating whether it should recommend that people wear masks when they go outside. In 1918, with a different virus, it didn’t help. Iowa’s State Board of Health reminded those sewing masks to add some “colored worsted [a type of yarn] or tape” on the part of the mask that would be the outside. The upper margin was to be drawn tightly over the bridge of the nose, right under the eyes. Masks were to be washed after each use, and boiled for five minutes before wearing again.....

[Leaning Right]

> Seeing stranger smile at you is something I didn’t realize I missed until I saw it. <

On the flip side, sometimes wearing a mask can introduce you to a new person. I had a short conversation with my neighbor in a grocery store parking lot the other day. We talked pleasantries, mainly about the weather. At the end, she said, “See you later, Don.”

Well, my name is not Don! Because of the masks, we each mistook the other person for someone else!

[Thud]

It was both.

"From what I’ve read about it, the Spanish flu was of a bacterial type not viral.:

[ladyjane]

Stop. The Spanish flu was viral. Not bacterial.

When you get the virus it is the secondary pneumonia that kills you.

[dandiegirl]

Because there are people out there that will run and report a business for not “enforcing” the mask policies and get the business shut down. The the ONLY reason I wear one is to keep the Karen’s in check. I hate snitches.

[jonrick46]

I'll give you some of the science that shows how masks contain the viral particles contained in droplets of various sizes:

How do filters collect particles?

These capture, or filtration, mechanisms are described as follows: Diagram illustrating the filtration mechanisms of inertial impaction, interception, diffusion, and electrostatic attraction. In each case, fibers are shown filtering particles.

Inertial impaction: With this mechanism, particles having too much inertia due to size or mass cannot follow the airstream as it is diverted around a filter fiber. This mechanism is responsible for collecting larger particles.

Interception: As particles pass close to a filter fiber, they may be intercepted by the fiber. Again, this mechanism is responsible for collecting larger particles.

Diffusion: Small particles are constantly bombarded by air molecules, which causes them to deviate from the airstream and come into contact with a filter fiber. This mechanism is responsible for collecting smaller particles.

Electrostatic attraction: Oppositely charged particles are attracted to a charged fiber. This collection mechanism does not favor a certain particle size.

In all cases, once a particle comes in contact with a filter fiber, it is removed from the airstream and strongly held by molecular attractive forces. It is very difficult for such particles to be removed once they are collected. As seen in Figure 2, there is a particle size at which none of the “mechanical” collection mechanisms (interception, impaction, or diffusion) is particularly effective. This “most penetrating particle size” (MPPS) marks the best point at which to measure filter performance. If the filter demonstrates a high level of performance at the MPPS, then particles both smaller AND larger will be collected with even higher performance.

[dandiegirl]

The waste problem should be especially troubling to the Millennials, as they are very nervous about Covid. They are very concerned about the environment too. Guess they haven’t thought of that.

[Thud]

Surgical and other cloth masks block emissions of chunks of mucous and saliva which are larger than microbial size. They don't block microbial-size particles. What they do is blcok emissions of the larger chunks of mucous and salvia which are laden with lots and lots (and lots) of dangerous microbes.

The size of the initial Covid-19 microbial load into a victim which infects a victim is very important to whether the victim actually contracts the disease. This makes cloth masks useful in preventing the person with the disease from infecting others.

Ben Hecht said, "The race is not always to the swift, nor victory to the strong. But that's the way to bet." Protecting people from Covid-19 is very much a matter of percentages. It's not a matter of either you are protected, or you are not. Reducing the odds of contracting it is always somewhat effective.

Whether any given means of doing so is cost-effective is another matter, and timing is an element there too. Lockdowns were arguably cost-effective in the spring and summer of 2020. They clearly aren't any more.

[Leaning Right]

Thank you for your reasoned and sensible response. Such responses are a bit rare these days!

[relictele]

Who are you to bark orders at total strangers?

And why would you think that total strangers will comply?

You can ask who you like about what you like - doesn’t make a blind bit of difference to me.

Cloth masks as used by 90% of the population don’t work because they can’t work.

[Bulwyf]

That’s incredible!

I’m glad you all had a great time. It sounds like a few people there have some sense. I’m wish I could of gone.

[Trailerpark Badass]

Lol, if you’re inhaling chunks of other people’s mucous and saliva on anything but a freak occurrence basis, you should ask yourself some serious questions.

[max americana]

“surely THIS is the time a huge maskless gathering becomes a “superspreader” “

My cousin went to Sturgis a year ago. 90% didnt wear a mask there and you will see videos on Youtube. All 4 of his buddies tested a week after. ALL negative. After all that close contact with people for a week, you’d think at least one of them tested positive..

[Trailerpark Badass]

Lol, ridiculous.

[max americana]

“To which I’d add: If a business posts a sign saying “Mask required”, I won’t make a fuss. I’ll put on a mask”

I’m in the same boat. I was just tired of them getting their panties in a twist when I enter, esp. with my GF. It’s mostly for her. And I make sure once I leave ANY premises, I remove my mask asap to the annoyance of many entering hehe

[Bulwyf]

Enjoy your new world order . Masks today, Mark tomorrow. It’s necessary you see? You can’t buy or sell without it. Why don’t people just do it? Then it’ll all be ok.

You think this is about a virus. You are very wrong. You’re putting time and energy into the wrong things.

[Leaning Right]

> Lol, ridiculous <

I assume you are referring to post #67. If that post was ridiculous, please refute it as I am in a learning mode here.

But if you are specifically referring to my post #68, no problem. To each his own.

[delta7]

Not a mask in sight.
——————-
You can tell the Demoncrats from Trump supporters, the highest percentage of face diaper wearers are Demoncrats....my home area is Trump territory, no masks in sight. I returned from Florida a few days ago, the Republican county I was in had a few diaper wearers, the Democrat county just south had signs everywhere to wear masks before entering....face diapers everywhere!

[SkyDancer]

Well that’s the way I read it but could have interpreted it wrong. I can see how a viral would go to pneumonia and kill so maybe that’s what the whole report was about. Thanks.

[delta7]

What’s a paragraph?

[Arlis]

Ok, I’ll play. Could it be surgeons don’t want to possibly infect patients with openings in their bodies to germs?

Could it be it’s not for the docs - but for the patients? Huh?

I mean, that’s why they wash their hands and arms for 20 minutes, isn’t it?