Face Masks Really Do Matter. The Scientific Evidence Is Growing. New research suggests that face coverings help reduce the transmission of droplets, though some masks are more protective than others

Wall Street Journal ^ | July 18, 2020 | Caitlin McCabe

[karpov]

Face masks are emerging as one of the most powerful weapons to fight the novel coronavirus, with growing evidence that facial coverings help prevent transmission—even if an infected wearer is in close contact with others.

Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said he believes the pandemic could be brought under control over the next four to eight weeks if “we could get everybody to wear a mask right now.” His comments, made Tuesday with the Journal of the American Medical Association, followed an editorial he and others wrote there emphasizing “ample evidence” of asymptomatic spread and highlighting new studies showing how masks help reduce transmission.

The research Dr. Redfield cited included a newly published study suggesting that universal use of surgical masks helped reduce rates of confirmed Covid-19 infections among health-care workers at the Mass General Brigham health-care system in Massachusetts.

His comments are the clearest message yet from the CDC, amid fierce debate over facial coverings, fueled initially by shifting messages from federal and global officials about their necessity and then by those espousing individual liberties.

Researchers from around the world have found wearing even a basic cloth face covering is more effective in reducing the spread of Covid-19 than wearing nothing at all. And many are now examining the possibility that masks might offer some personal protection from the virus, despite initial thinking that they mostly protect others.

[timestax]

bttt

[TigersEye]

Studies say ...

N95-masked health-care workers (HCW) were significantly more likely to experience headaches.

See post #79.

[Vermont Lt]

But thanks to YOU, I took it off. Thank GOD you are here to save us all!

I am kidding of course. I don’t care if you are safe or not.

[nanook]

I was going to post this one also but you beat me to it.

[Socon-Econ]

Show us where it has been shown that the virus needs sneeze or cough droplets to spread airborn. I thought there were all these asymtomatic cases unknowingly spreading the virus just by breathing.

[LegendHasIt]

..........................................................

[Truthoverpower]

Total bullshit

Masks are simply trying to get ya to buy this HOAX. TOTAL HOAX

[nanook]

Spoken by another brain dead liberal coward.

[TigersEye]

Now that's a mask I'd wear! Or one that says ...

"Governor Polis Is A Stupid Bastard!"

[dynoman]

Cloth masks don’t seal. Period. You know that when you see poor Jon Karl at the WH press briefings with his fogged up glasses. His glasses fog up because the mask leaks. About as effective as wearing a mask with an exhale valve, which is not effective for protecting others.

I’ve worn masks as PPE, if you can’t pass the fit test you can’t wear the mask! That includes particulate filter masks.

Besides that corona virus is much smaller than most masks will filter out.

[TigersEye]

And even if you get tested and it is negative, you could get it 10 minutes later ..."

Which is utterly meaningless because you wouldn't be contagious until the virus incubated which takes five days on average. Stop sreading such ignorant BS.

[who knows what evil?]

...you could get it 10 minutes later from some self-important yahoo in Home Depot who thinks he is more important than you (or worse, start spouting off about “his Constitutional rights which is, of course, rubbish”).

The rights bestowed on him (and all men) by His Creator? Those rights? Rubbish? Words fail.

[dynoman]

Some masks do have warning labels;

[DugwayDuke]

Quite a few comments on that article. Pretty evenly divided between sceptics and those who believe ‘if it saves on life’.

[MayflowerMadam]

“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” - Ben Franklin

[mewzilla]

What it says on the backs of the boxes of masks we buy at the grocery store:

Not for use in healthcare settings.

Gee, wonder why?

[dynoman]

Watch how many people are wearing masks with exhale valves. I just saw another one on twitter five minutes ago, attacking others for not wearing a mask! Masks with exhale valves do nothing to protect others. I see it all the time, I understand because I’ve worn fit tested masks as PPE. I’ve seen reporters wearing masks with exhale valves in the WH press briefing room nearly every time.

People wear masks with exhale valves, they wear them under their nose, their glasses fog up - meaning the mask is leaking when they exhale, they touch the masks, take them off to talk, eat, and attack people not wearing masks. There are videos all over twitter showing it. And I’ve never seen a video where someone not wearing a mask is attacking a mask wearer. It’s always been the mask wearer attacking others.

It’s almost like the mask mandate is a test to see how easily we will obey without thinking. And it makes us fight each other. The whole covid thing has that feel to me.

[dynoman]

They would be counted as covid deaths!

[LegendHasIt]

I got mine on eBay. Around eleven bucks. Several sellers have them.

At first I was going to get one of those “Plague Doctor” masks, but decided that would be very uncomfortable... Then I looked for one with sheep, but thought that may be too subtle for the sheep in the store. Ran across this one, and immediately ordered.

[Socon-Econ]

Cases are surging because lots of people decided to act like asshats and party at crowded beaches, bars, and make believe we don’t have a pandemic happening.
*********
1. Only the phony cases based on asymptomatic, multiple, and even fake counts are surging.

2. The young folks at the beach are the ones who least need to worry about getting the virus. And dont feed us some yesteryear-based argument that they will give it to an at-risk grandma living in their children’s home.