Posted on 08/19/2023 5:28:55 AM PDT by DoodleBob
There is a new COVID-19 variant in our midst, and it seems to be spreading across the globe at a rapid rate. But is it time once again to "mask up?" And did masks actually work the first time round?
The new strain of COVID-19 is called EG.5, or "Eris." The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it a variant of interest, meaning it is being closely monitored. Eris—which is a subvariant of the variant Omicron—is now the most common in the U.S, making up 17 percent of all cases. As of August 8, it has also been detected in more than 50 countries.
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The choice of whether to wear one is now optional, but as Eris continues its rapid spread, scientists are once again noting how effective they are in preventing high infection.
"Yes they do [work]. There are many lines of evidence that show they do, from clinical to population and laboratory studies," epidemiologist Raina MacIntyre, a professor of global biosecurity at the Kirby Institute at University of New South Wales, Australia, told Newsweek.
"But what we refer to as masks can vary from a cloth mask to a surgical mask to an N95 respirator. A cloth mask provides the least protection and an N95 the most. But even a cloth mask is better than nothing against SARS-CoV-2 as shown in a large U.S. study."
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However, some studies had previously been interpreted as casting doubt on the efficacy of masks.
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Trisha Greenhalgh, a professor of primary health care at Oxford University in the U.K., said in a tweet …"My various science WhatsApp groups are buzzing. Genetic lineage clips and diagrams flying back and forth. I understand little of the detail but it looks like it's once again time to MASK UP, "
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
The most conclusive studies on masks showed they worked very well for relatively short periods of time. In a one on one, face to face situation with one person infected, a good quality mask offered about 20-30 minutes of decent protection if one person was masked, about an hour if both people were masked. While no standard mask totally kept the virus away, they did decrease the viral load enough that it was unlikely to be enough to infect.
Wearing a mask for hours on end (like in school) probably was a waste of time in the big picture. It might have offered some protection (we will never know conclusively) but it came at costs to the student. I will say that from my personal experience only one kid I knew of who wore a mask regularly, caught COVID most likely at school.
The best preventative against COVID was and still is social distancing. You are not going to catch COVID outdoors (unless you are in a closely packed crowd) and you are very unlikely to catch COVID unless you are within a couple of feet of an infected person for at least 10 minutes.
Sorry, Trisha. The answer is “no.”
If it has any benefit, your mask protects others, not you. Your mask keeps saliva droplets out of the air others breathe. In the OR, the surgical team masks up and puts on surgical gowns to protect the patient. This is a ludicrous practice for covid.
Never again!!
I can see where a surgical mask would help when someone is sick and actively coughing.
I’m not even sure if they are helpful around medical establishments if people aren’t coughing, but I can see medical establishments wanting to use them.
Whenever I see someone wearing a mask today I think three things: Stupid, democrat and sheep.
Lately I’ve been seeing folks wearing their face diapers, here and there. Too funny.
Or those who have children at St Jude’s, mask orders are still in effect, and I suspect were the norm even before the C-flu. Since all are in different stages of cancer.
I see optional signs up more at doctors. Unless it’s Oncology.
As I understand it the virus is mostly transmitted via aerosol. If you spritz a room with deodorizer go back in and can smell the scent you can also breath in the virus. Then there’s the downsides of wearing one for extended periods of time. There’s plenty of sources out there that describe those. I’m not 100% anti-vax. Just anti altering DNA.
“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”
Bounced2X wrote: “As I understand it the virus is mostly transmitted via aerosol. If you spritz a room with deodorizer go back in and can smell the scent you can also breath in the virus. Then there’s the downsides of wearing one for extended periods of time. There’s plenty of sources out there that describe those. I’m not 100% anti-vax. Just anti altering DNA.”
Claiming masks don’t work because space suits are required in Level 4 Biolabs is a false analogy.
Claiming the vaccines change your DNA is typical anti-vaccine misinformation that has been debunked multiple times.
I am extremely right wing, and I am not going to anyone here to wear a mask, but I do believe they reduce risk of infection from the deadly & disabling Fauci virus. I wear them indoors in public places only.
Good luck to everyone. I’m hoping that we get intranasal protein vaccines that allow us stop worrying about the Fauci virus and the hundreds of mutating strains.
Same here. I’m against mRNA and wont’ take anymore. Novavax is protein based and has had extremely low reports of side effects. They should be coming out with a update soon. Of course, the scum in our govt are pushing the mRNA.
And you’re making the leftist capitulator argument that we should be forced to use something shown to be 0% effective.
You’re a virus of FR. Named after a biolab FFS…
Coronaviruses and flu viruses mutate and circle the globe forever.
How do you not know that yet?
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