I don’t get this surgical/cloth masking thing. Am I missing some controlled study where coronavirus patients were placed in a controlled group of random people without coronavirus and then transmission rates were studied both indoors and out? I am 100% behind where the science says to go, if a randomized control trial shows indisputable evidence that these masks are effective against the coronavirus, sure, no problem, let’s mask up. But if they are being mandated due to nebulous general population “studies” where some areas show effectiveness and others not as effective (as I’ve currently seen and is largely the basis for the state order) – all to make it look like the politicians are doing something, then I am 100% against it. I’m surprised hardly anyone is questioning the rationale behind masks.
Here’s a sampling of what’s out there, not exactly ringing endorsements – “Randomized controlled trials in health care workers showed that respirators, if worn continually during a shift, were effective but not if worn intermittently. Medical masks were not effective, and cloth masks even less effective. —
The study suggests that community mask use by well people could be beneficial, particularly for COVID-19, where transmission may be pre-symptomatic.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7191274/
“Rates of infection were consistently higher among those in the cloth mask group than in the medical mask and control groups.
Protection provided by cloth masks may be improved by selecting appropriate material, increasing the number of mask layers, and using those with a design that provides filtration and fit.” https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/10/20-0948_article
“Mask use (type not specified) is possibly associated with decreased risk of SARS-CoV-1 Infection vs no use.” https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/rapid-review-masks-prevention-covid-version-2.pdf
“So, scientists have relied on observational and laboratory studies. There is also indirect evidence from other infectious diseases. “If you look at any one paper — it’s not a slam dunk. But, taken all together, I’m convinced that they are working,” says Grabowski.
“You don’t have to do much math to say this is obviously a good idea,” says Jeremy Howard, a research scientist at the University of San Francisco in California, who is part of a team that reviewed the evidence for wearing face masks in a preprint article that has been widely circulated6.
Scientists are still unsure which size of particle is most important in COVID-19 transmission. Some can’t even agree on the cut-off that should define aerosols. For the same reasons, scientists still don’t know the major form of transmission for influenza, which has been studied for much longer.
Perhaps fortunately, some evidence12 suggests that donning a face mask might drive the wearer and those around them to adhere better to other measures, such as social distancing. The masks remind them of shared responsibility, perhaps. But that requires that people wear them.
For now, Osterholm, in Minnesota, wears a mask. Yet he laments the “lack of scientific rigor” that has so far been brought to the topic. “We criticize people all the time in the science world for making statements without any data,” he says. “We’re doing a lot of the same thing here.”” https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02801-8
“In spite of their now-ubiquitous presence in most of the Western world today, relatively little evidence exists to support widespread use of face-masking to prevent the spread of respiratory disease. A 2019 World Health Organization review of pandemic mitigation measures, for instance, found “no evidence” that face coverings helped to stop the spread of influenza.” https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/coronavirus/major-mask-study-rejected-multiple-journals-amid-rumors-it-shows-masks
Utah Resources –
Certainty of Face Mask vs No Face Mask – Low “Medical or surgical face masks might result in a large reduction in virus infection; N95 respirators might be associated with a larger reduction in risk compared with surgical or similar masks” https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31142-9/fulltext
To address the sources that Utah put up. One I’m not interested in the opinion of a BYU ecology “professor” who believes that climate change caused the wildfires this year, yet I’m sure he is 100% unbiased when it comes to selecting masking studies.
I mean, if this were a drug and it were given to a large population and they came back and said, it seems to do something or it could help, would that be enough evidence to deem it safe and effective? Is nobody considering that the general population will never understand mask hygiene and masks could actually be making the spread worse? Or that when they look effective it is because people decide to not go out or, as noted, are just reminded to keep distance? But like I said, I am all on board if there is a clear, controlled study of the general population both indoors and outdoors. Can’t exactly do a double blind or placebo, but could still do a controlled study, so where is it? When the government starts mandating courses of action, we should demand that they show us incontrovertible evidence that what they are doing is proven effective and that it’s not just some feel good measure for the politician trying to score political points.
In all honesty, if you are just going to start picking courses of action that “could help”, or “may be beneficial”. How about advocating getting out and going for walks or hikes? Being active and eating healthy? To further eating healthy, how about making sure we are getting enough vitamins and minerals to help fight off all types of infection? How about making sure we maintain social connections to try to stave depression – because you don’t have to do much math to know that healthy people, both emotionally and physically don’t get sick as often AND healthy people are usually able to overcome diseases quicker than less healthy counterparts. Those suggestions are in my opinion likely to be better than masking at this point, yet here we are, people believing masking will save us in some medieval form of abject belief.
