interesting post from hamstersarse from the WHO info
People can potentially infect themselves if they use contaminated hands to adjust a mask, or to repeatedly take it off and put it on, without cleaning hands in between.
Not great!
to which i say: people have been told repeatedly to wash/sanitise their hands frequently. If they don't listen and are maybe infected then i'd prefer they wear a mask even incorrectly. They're not breathing their germs on me if they do.
Masks can also create a false sense of security, leading people to neglect measures such as hand hygiene and physical distancing.
Can see that happening already. Washing hands has been dropped from messages for months.
How do you need to keep being told to wash your flipping hands? Masks are a great reminder that there is something wrong. And in the UK the govt said reduce SD to 1m with masks and keep 2m without masks. It's not rocket science.
I cannot say this clearly enough: masks alone will not protect you from COVID-19.
Yet many here seem to think they are some magical way to eliminate the virus
I haven't seen ANYONE say that masks are the silver bullet. They are clearly one of several measures which are relatively easy to implement. (i worked with Koreans during SARS - masks and track & trace were the key points with that one)
Masks are not a replacement for physical distancing, hand hygiene and other public health measures.
I just get the vibe that people think they are! The whole “you selfish bastard if you don’t force yourself to wear one even though you have autism” stinks of latching onto masks as being the thing to beat people with
They are one of a raft of measures. People are selfish if they say things like "meh, I've done enough already". Clearly we, collectively, still have a way to go. Like many PP i live in a country where some mask wearing is compulsory. I'm assuming that there are no autistic or asthmatic people live here, or that they're not going out, because i very rarely see anyone without one.
Masks are only of benefit as part of a comprehensive approach in the fight against COVID-19.
Their contribution is minor so no need for all the vitriol against people who can’t wear them.
The benefit isn't actually that minor (depending on which studies you look at, droplet transmission is reduced in quantity and distance. I'll take that as a win. 3 layer closely woven cloth masks seem to come out well.
The cornerstone of the response in every country must be to find, isolate, test and care for every case, and to trace and quarantine every contact
This is what works, not some shitty mask you’ve bought on eBay and had your hands on all day.
That is what we know works. That is every country’s best defense against COVID-19.
Not masks.
What works is a combination of things. All of which the UK goverment only did when it was too late (compared to other countries who got this under control quicker). They have displayed astonishing arrogance and incompetence. You say you need track and trace? How many more threads and tweets do we need with "I'm not giving my hairdresser/barstaff/shop staff my details"? clearly the UK public has a way to go.
I keep seeing all this tosh about Blitz spirit. Well during the blitz people who didn't use shelters died. People who didn't use blackout curtains were fined, shamed (back when public shaming really was effective) and so on. Hopefully masks are the temporary new normal.