What is the logic behind face masks protecting others but not the wearer?

[trulydelicious]

Say the 3-ply IIR disposable masks sold at Boots for instance.

Intuituively one would think that the barrier in the mask would prevent (to an extent) droplets going out through the mask as well as droplets coming in if somebody sneezes or coughs near the wearer?

In a way this should also work for non-surgical cloth masks (although the level of protection may be lower).

Am I missing something?

The logic is that if everyone wears a mask then everyone is protected!

Recent studies have also shown that they offer some protection to the wearer, as well as to others around them, as masks prevent the inhalation of larger droplets. So mask wearing, however odious some individuals may find it, is win-win.

It's really very simple ... (sigh) yes the idea is that EVERYONE wears a mask so we are all protected to a large extent. It's not possible that every single person can wear a proper 'protective' mask all the time, for various obvious reasons. The goverent really need to be running ads about this if people still don't understand.

Yes, I think it makes sense. You would think that the barrier would work both ways (and if everyone is wearing masks the risk of transmission would be significantly lower overall)

I saw one study which showed that if the person wearing the mask is infected, the mask reduces the amount of virus which escapes by 80-95%, whereas if someone else is infected, the amount of virus reaching the person wearing the mask is reduced by 20-30%. Obviously if both wear a mask, the risk of transmission is massively reduced compared to neither wearing one.

The WHO advice is face coverings for everyone, but surgical face masks for those over 60 and with health conditions which make them vulnerable. This implies that surgical face masks offer more protection to the wearer than a scarf or whatever.

It's just unavailability of proper masks, that's all.
I have no idea why the government thinks the whole altruism message is the way to go, but there we go, they have more confidence in the niceness (and stupidity) of the general public than me
If I was going to wear a mask (I mostly avoid those situations) I would wear one to protect me, not you lot.

The mask protects against droplets carrying the virus. Aerosols carrying the virus can still penetrate the mask as they're much smaller.

If a person with covid coughs all over a person who is wearing a mask, the covid germs will get all over the masked person - their face, hands, clothes etc and are likely to be transferred to the mask wearers eyes/mouth regardless of whether they are wearing a mask.

if a person with covid is wearing a mask and they cough, the covid germs will mostly stay within the mask and not be transmitted to others.

@TheLegendOfZelda and PuzzledObserver yes, I think that if the message mentioned the protection for the wearer (to a certain extent) as well it would be beneficial for all

Thanks'@flyingant. It's a good explanation

My mask protects you, your mask protects me. I’m in SE Asia and there is just no argument about wearing a mask.
As a PP said if a person with Covid is wearing a mask and they cough the Covid germs are kept within the mask

It's really very simple ... (sigh) yes the idea is that EVERYONE wears a mask so we are all protected to a large extent.

I don't think OP was questioning that. I think she was just querying why a barrier that protects those around you from you, doesn't protect you from them just as well. Which is what is implied by "masks protect others, not the wearer"

[quote trulydelicious]**@TheLegendOfZelda and PuzzledObserver yes, I think that if the message mentioned the protection for the wearer (to a certain extent) as well it would be beneficial for all[/quote]
This is being talked about actually, as a message for campaigns, as a way of improving mask wearing (and proper rather than token mask wearing) particularly amongst men.

@Meredithgrey1 yes, that is what I was having trouble understanding. It seemed a bit counterintuitive.

What @flyingant says is helpful as it explains it from another angle I think

It’s like everyone walking about passing themselves of no one wore pants it would be everywhere , if only half wear pants it would be slightly less pissy if everyone wears pants much less so .

it's nothing like pissing your pants... unless your piss comes out continuously from the top and bottom of your pants in aerosol form, lol

Well it would travel pretty far if you didn’t wear pants wouldn’t it , hence the analogy

Imo the huge benefit is if it is surface transmitted it's not in the environment inside.
Imagine say pt without masks. Yes you could catch from other passegers at the same time but also all the ones there maybe up to 5 days earlier. Everyone touching surfaces could i suppose have moved it all round and onto anything else thry touch till they wash hands.
So masks are much more effective than hand washing. As the next thing you touch could be contaminated anyway.
Would be interesting to watch cctv in a supermarket
How many times a day someone coughs or sneezes in there.
(,let alone touches everything or is shouting etv)

Lots of people have hayfever or a smokers cough so spreading anything they have asymptomatically.

A nurse friend shared this!

don't get me wrong, I support wearing facemasks, but the peeing analogy is just rubbish

Because once covid virus is on your facemask, it is hard to not inhale it. This matters less if it is on the facemask of someone who unknowingly has the virus (because they can't infect themselves worse with a small amount of virus on a mask) than if it lands on the facemask of someone who doesn't have it.

Slightly better for the virus to be on the outside of a facemask, but much better for it to be kept on the infected person in the first place.

@commentatorz

Why? It’s gross, but brilliant!

@commentatorz

Of course, the analogy isn’t precise... analogies never are!

“ If I was going to wear a mask (I mostly avoid those situations) I would wear one to protect me, not you lot.”

But that would protect you too. The actual mask wearing may give you only a bit of immediate protection but

1. You help add to the collective good, where everyone going out sees that everyone else is wearing one, so don’t feel embarrassed by doing it too.

1. At the moment it looks like it might be possible to catch more than once? I read one article that said it could be even more serious a second time if you still have damage from the first.

So if you get it (perhaps asymptotically first time) and do wear a mask, then yes you’re reducing others‘ risk, but you’re also then reducing your own risk of getting it. You’re protecting your own quality of life by helping to stop society falling apart and leading to more jobs losses, etc. We are all a whole and we need to think that way to fight this.

(I mean you’re reducing the number of cases in the population, so protecting yourself too from future waves

@duffeldaisy

(I mean you’re reducing the number of cases in the population, so protecting yourself too from future waves

If I have it and don't spread it, that isn't protecting me, is it? I already have it, in your version, so me wearing a mask is just stopping it spreading to other people. The people I wouldn't want to spread it to are the people I know. Who are the only people I wouldn't be wearing a mask with. Random strangers, whatever. That said, if I had symptoms I would very obviously not go out.

To be clear, I will wear a pointless sock thing when required. I definitely wear a proper mask when I think my own risk is high of catching it off you covid plague carriers. I don't think my risk is currently high so I am not bothered. If I was bothered, I am not stupid enough to think you lot in manky homemade scarf things is going to keep me safe. I'd stay away from you.

My personal belief is that it's better to have it, ideally this summer in case it does turn bad (good hospital capacity and nice weather to recover in, no other bugs around), then get immunity. My family and I are not high risk. Why would it be worse second time around? Most viruses don't work that way. It's either long term immunity or short term with partial immunity to it next time round.