Should You Wear a Mask to Fight Coronavirus? A Top Doctor Weighs In, Angry It Has Come to This

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Should you wear a mask in public in the age of coronavirus? The benefits of mask wearing by the general public is suddenly a topic of hot debate. The Centers for Disease Control has not recommended masks for masses, but that guidance is now under review as understanding of the spread of the coronavirus is changing.

Most important, public health officials are learning that the virus can be spread by large numbers of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic carriers — people who do not, themselves, feel sick and therefore don’t avoid public places.

There is also growing concern that the virus is not spread simply by heavy droplets — like those produced by coughing — that settle out of the air and onto surfaces, but may be spread by tiny droplets, emitted by speaking or laughing or singing, that can linger in the air.

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To help sort through this confusing calculus, Rolling Stone reached out to Donald Milton, both a medical doctor and doctor of public health, who runs the Public Health Aerobiology, Virology, and Exhaled Biomarker Laboratory at the University of Maryland. Several years ago, Milton published a paper showing the potential effectiveness of surgical masks in limiting viral spread. But as he spoke to Rolling Stone, Milton was mostly angry that the United States has so utterly botched the response to this pandemic that generalized mask wearing has become part of the conversation. He noted that a country like Singapore has managed to contain the spread of the coronavirus through robust public health measures, which have allowed its economy to keep functioning while reserving masks for the medical community and the obviously ill. He also points to South Korea that got ahead of the pandemic through mass testing. “We have that capability,” he says, “We could have done that.” Because we didn’t, Milton says, “We’re totally behind the 8-ball here. So we’re desperate.”

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https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/should-you-wear-a-mask-to-fight-coronavirus-a-top-doctor-weighs-in-angry-it-has-come-to-this-976620/

[Goodheart]

1. I'll have to disagree with the good doctor

Just seems common sense to me that wearing a mask would provide the wearer with more protection than otherwise, and I don't believe that civilians wearing masks has much of an impact on the supply available to medical professionals. Those professionals need millions of masks... and that number quickly exceeds anything the general public is using for themselves, anyway. Plus, civilian masks are typically homemade and reusable. I sure haven't seen a lot of N95's out on the street or in the stores.

[ProfessorGAC]

2. You're Kidding, Right?

There's a shortage of masks in the medical community, and civilians (330 million of us) would not impact supply?
The simple math makes that position illogical.
Also, the doctor didn't say masks don't help. He said they help some, but masks used by shedders are for more important! He specifically mentioned Singapore that did not experience broad based masking for every civilian and they did better than the US. His opinion appears reinforced by the information he cited seconds later.

[Goodheart]

3. No, I'm not kidding.

The majority of masks I see out in public are homemade, just as I said. Those are not appropriate for professionals. And, no, even though there are 330 million of us that number is exceeded in very short order by the medical community.

Also, I simply do not believe that "masks don't help." Of course they do. Maybe not to the degree we'd all like, but anything over your face would help.

[ProfessorGAC]

4. Nobody Is Saying That

I didn't say it, the doctor didn't say that masks don't help. Your argument might carry more heft if you weren't creating the counter position out of whole cloth.
I'm not wearing surgical masks either. Just a scarf, because I DO BELIEVE something is better than nothing.
And you did not address your point that civilians wearing masks doesn't affect supply to medical folks.
You waited until now to bring up improvised masks.
Keep moving those goalposts, but I'm done with such nonsense.

[Goodheart]

11. Go back and read again.

I said in my very first post that civilian masks are typically homemade, i.o.w. "improvised".

I also DID address the point that civilians wearing masks is not a major detriment to medical supplies because we are NOT for the most part WEARING medical supplies and because what medical professionals need greatly outnumber whatever medical supplies we're wearing, anyway.

Seriously, go read what I said again. Or read it for the first time. Whichever fits.

[pat_k]

8. Homemade masks are not the the surgical masks he is talking about.

He cites studies of surgical mask use, not homemade mask use.

From the reading I've done, homemade masks are pretty close to useless at filtering out anything but the bigger droplets. Asymptomatic "shedders" aren't spreading big droplets around as they cough -- by definition, they aren't coughing.

I think encouraging homemade masks is problematic because they give people a false sense of security. ("Under six feet is ok, they're wearing a mask"... or "I don't really need to go to the store, but I'll be ok if I stick this bandana on.)

Understand the limits of masks, and don't go out if you don't absolutely have to -- doesn't matter how many people are wearing masks. Even surgical masks just reduce the risk. They do not eliminate it.

[Meowmee]

5. I agree and I will wear a surgical mask, my doc told me to. I will protect myself and others

If I go out, which may be never until I am able to move back to a safer country not run and over run by lunatic criminal fascists.

[Hotler]

19. Points for using the word "fascist"........ it's not use near enough....

when talking about the orange one and his cronies..

[Snake Plissken]

9. The size of the corona virus is roughly 0.125 microns, masks used by the general public are ...

the equivalent of trying to use chicken wire to keep mosquitoes out of your house.

If you already have the virus a mask will help prevent you from spreading it, but wearing one will not stop the virus for infecting you if it's already in the air around you, unless you have at least an N95 mask that can filter out something as small as 0.125 microns.

[Goodheart]

12. How big is the DROPLET that carries the virus?

If the droplet can't get through then the virus riding within it won't, either.

Are homemade masks perfect? Of course not. Should you believe that they provide sufficient protection against hazardous exposure? Of course not. Do they reduce the risks to both wearer and bystander? I say YES, and even a slight improvement is better than nothing, correct?

[Baclava]

17. Actually, N95 masks filter 95% of particles down to 0.3 microns, so not the virus itself either

[pat_k]

6. "Surgical masks"

Last edited Tue Apr 7, 2020, 10:09 PM - Edit history (2)

I've ordered surgical masks but won't receive until April 24 - May 1. I'd wear one if I could get one. Has not been possible.

People need to read carefully, and understand that surgical masks just reduce the risk. Compared to N95, which filter out 95% of the most penetrating 0.1 to 0.3 micron particles, surgical masks have gaps that let particles of any size in and the material of a high quality surgical mask only only filters out particles larger than 1 micron (10 times larger than what N95 filters). Lower quality masks (and there are a lot out there) allow bigger particles through.

From the reading I've done, makeshift masks -- bandana's and whatnot -- are almost completely useless. They filter out only the largest droplets of a person coughing in your general direction. Give the lack of availability of surgical masks, encouraging the use of homemade masks with extremely limited effectiveness wouldn't be a problem if it didn't lead some people to take unnecessary risks (I have a mask on, so I'll be safe if I run over to the store).

I've met too many people who seem to think the risk will be eliminated if everyone wears a mask -- any sort of mask. It wouldn't be. Particularly if most of those people are wearing a makeshift or fabric mask (unless the fabric mask is one of those you can obtain that comes with filter inserts, it is not doing much)

BOTTOM LINE:
If you don't absolutely need to go out, Don't, no matter how many people out there are wearing masks.

[Marrah_Goodman]

7. If everyone wore a mask it would slow the virus considerably

Your mask might not protect you much, but the ones being worn by those around you would. This should have been put in place before it ever hit our shores.

[TomSlick]

10. Agreed.

My elderly mother is making cloth masks. There is a slot in the inside front for slipping in a cone shaped coffee filter. Her stitching isn't what is was once but the mask is functional. (There are DIY instructions all over the web.)

It's clearly not a mask useful in the medical environment. However, it will provide the wearer some protection and more protection for people around the wearer.

We're all in this together. I will wear a mask to protect you. Should should wear a mask to protect me.

More important than the masks, don't stand so close to me.

[link:

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[Marrah_Goodman]

13. I've been making them for all my friends and family who don't sew themselves

If we all comply, more people will live.

[TomSlick]

14. Good on you!

We have to pull together right now.

[IcyPeas]

15. try bowing a candle out while wearing a home-made mask

I saw a video yesterday (not this one... but same idea).

Put your mask on and try and blow a candle out. If the mask is too thin it's probably not keeping a lot of germs out.

Of course this is not scientific....

[Vinca]

18. I'm wearing one. It's the "it can't hurt" theory.