Can someone please explain the point of face masks/coverings

[victoriasponge08]

Without sounding ignorant. Why are we bothering to wear them?

The government website states for track and trace purposes, the definition of a close contact Is

having face-to-face contact with someone less than 1 metre away (this will include times where you have worn a face covering or a face mask)

I’ve lost count of the amount of times selfish people in the supermarket come right by me and reach over for the item their trying to get, instead of just waiting for me or other people to move.

Happened this afternoon. I was getting some bananas and a woman just came right beside me, we both turned around at the same time and were face to face.

So this now makes me a close contact, even though we had masks on.

My son is having driving lessons at the minute, both wearing masks but I don’t understand why if it’s not actually giving you any protection.

OP, mask wearing is generally accepted to reduce but not eliminate the likelihood of transmission.

@Hailtomyteeth

The answer to your problem, OP, is to move faster in the supermarket. You're getting in the way.

@Hailtomyteeth

Yeah, I don’t think that the answer at all.

People are inconsiderate. Hardly takes long to grab a bunch of bananas, surely someone can just wait.

Masks lower viral load. If you are infected but asymptomatic, you emit less virus as the mask will inhibit spread. If you are susceptible, and encounter someone who is infected, you take in less virus as the mask inhibits spread.

Not none but less. You still need to self isolate when necessary.

So you can still be infected but if the host and recipient are both masked up the inoculum will be lower.

The susceptible host is then better able to develop an immune response and will potentially be less ill.

This is basic infection control.

You do feel safer when basic measures are taken but they are not done to make you feel safer. There is an underlying scientific rationale.

Now if the argument was for wearing bunny ears, you would have a point - feel good factor, social identification, oppressive control but with no logical or scientific rationale.

So, why masks and not bunny ears?

@victoriasponge08

Without sounding ignorant. Why are we bothering to wear them?

The government website states for track and trace purposes, the definition of a close contact Is

having face-to-face contact with someone less than 1 metre away (this will include times where you have worn a face covering or a face mask)

I’ve lost count of the amount of times selfish people in the supermarket come right by me and reach over for the item their trying to get, instead of just waiting for me or other people to move.

Happened this afternoon. I was getting some bananas and a woman just came right beside me, we both turned around at the same time and were face to face.

So this now makes me a close contact, even though we had masks on.

My son is having driving lessons at the minute, both wearing masks but I don’t understand why if it’s not actually giving you any protection.

Ok you do realise that masks only help reduce the amount of particle droplets you would inhale? There are other points of entry for the virus too. The eyes. The mask doesn’t cover your eyes. However wearing a mask would prevent large droplets entering your mouth or nose. With a mask on if the virus did penetrate the mask barrier and enter your mouth and throat it would likely be a tiny amount that your immune system could effectively deal with. The more you inhale the harder it becomes for your immune system to fight the virus and it’s more likely to become overwhelmed. Also you are not only helping to reduce the risk to you, but others around you. If we couple the mask with distance then the risk is further reduced. Less likely for the lots of the virus particles to penetrate the mask and enter your body.

You're still at risk because masks aren't guaranteed to stop the virus OP. Doesn't matter how close you are, there's still a chance you could catch it, it's mostly spread by droplets but can linger in the air. Personally if I catch the virus I'd prefer it to happen while I and the person I caught it from were wearing masks.

A combination of face coverings while still maintaining at least 2m. distance is a better precaution - neither, of themselves, give a free ticket to drop the other measure. Still, as others have said, this is not an iron clad guarantee of not becoming infected.

The virus is very capable of becoming airborne through breathing, sneezing, air movement etc. Humidity particularly can either help or hinder the distance particles can travel before dropping to surfaces so masks can block a lot of the moisture between 2 people here.

Anecdotally various people working in high risk care or hospital settings on here have said they have regular tests that are negative and put it down to good PPE. I wondered about (e.g.) dental masks too but was told that these are principally to protect against microscopic aerosolised blood (different ball game from viral particles).

One study where only masks (not social distancing) seem to have prevented a much larger cluster of potential infection is here: www.livescience.com/hair-stylists-infected-covid19-face-masks.html

No, people shouldn't be dropping the distancing plan in the shops and queues, but they do. I suspect the '1 metre is ok' suggestion is really to try to give reassurance about transport, schools etc where 1 metre is generally still more than the distance actually possible. I have been trying to shop at markets and anywhere with a cold outside airflow much more than I used to, on this basis - improving the ventilation and, to an extent, the ability to move rather than be hemmed in.

I'm sure this has been mentioned but it's mitigating your risk and viral load

Imagine someone blowing smoke straight into your face...

How much more will you get, compared to the masks slowing down the momentum of that breath...

No masks are infallible, there is leakage but it slows the breath, directs what breath comes out and you may get covid but hopefully your viral load will be reduced.

Well then I guess face to face with no coughs or sneezes, and a mask would be less likely source of transmission?

Less likely yes but not impossible. As others have said it also reduces the viral load of what does get through. The general public aren’t wearing medical grade masks (Rightly so) so there is still ‘something’ getting through but much less.

There are thousands of videos freely available showing you how a mask will help. Thy this one

of slowed down droplets without a mask vs three different types of mask.

Masks reduce risks, they don’t eliminate them. You seem to be translating the fact that they don’t offer 100% protection to them not offering any protecting, ignoring the masses of middle ground in between.
No test/track/trace service could offer a service so bespoke that it takes into account such intricacies as who’s wearing a mask, what way they face etc so it works on likelihoods and possibilities.

Ahh, right. So I guess surgeons shouldn't wear masks then

wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article?fbclid=IwAR1wgGi1n82n8eGLEFTIbzV3atyHqop9DqK-rhx7itJ0SY3eZm5erwTZw6g

That article, from the CDC, states that masks are ineffective against viruses such as this.

To make you look like a rule follower.

To make other people feel comfortable because they dont think you'll give them the virus.

As a visual reminder that everything is BAD and a pandemic is going on.

The main point is to look like you are doing something and are a kind, selfless person striving to defeat this sadly virus.

There is evidence that they reduce some level of virus being breathed out. Obviously that depends quite significantly on the mask quality, fit and handling. Most Joe Public, fished out of a pocket here's-one-I-used-earlier are not going to perform nearly as well as well as a medical quality mask, well fitted by a person with training and used in a controlled environment.

The best defense is space and reduced density of people. Many public masks are little more than a security blanket and too much faith is put in them, often at a cost of keeping a distance from others.
Because test and trace doesn't know the efficacy of masks, it can't take them into account as a precaution... even if you are a community nursing team working with people positive with Covid, so they can't have the app active or they would never be out of self-isolation!

Face coverings are really helpful, as you can see from the huge decrease in numbers of positive cases, hospital admissions and deaths since they were made mandatory in so many settings

I suppose if more people in England wore proper ones instead of the Star Wars flannel their nan has sewn a bit of elastic on, or indeed if there were more people wearing them in general it would be a help.

@RegularHumanBartender

Ahh, right. So I guess surgeons shouldn't wear masks then

wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article?fbclid=IwAR1wgGi1n82n8eGLEFTIbzV3atyHqop9DqK-rhx7itJ0SY3eZm5erwTZw6g

That article, from the CDC, states that masks are ineffective against viruses such as this.

That is from May. Try this one

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-guidance.html

How exactly are you going to report the woman in the supermarket who leaned over you to test and trace as a contact?
Obviously it doesn’t mean these fleeting moments.

Vinylcafe 👍🏽

And that post is in the wrong place!

Thanks, MN!

I could explain it to you, but I really can't be arsed.

They hide my double chin.

I've made ace ones for Hallowe'en and Xmas.

I'll make something cool for carnival next year.

I can mouth 'fuck off' and no one can tell.

What is important is that there is evidence to suggest masks significantly reduce the viral load, therefore you are less likely to get a severe bout of illness. In theory. If you wear one. properly that is...and not just under your nose or a scarf wrapped round your chin.