Un-masking the case for masks

READ THIS FIRST

 

"I agree with Trump."

Words I NEVER thought would ever come from my lips, EVER.

Now that I've got your attention, let me clarify: I disagree with pretty much everything he says, everything he does, and everything he stands for.

But when he says, "I like masks. I don't think they should be mandatory ..."

..... well whaddya know??? Common ground between ME and TRUMP???

It's a miracle!!!!

Overall, I think that recommending masks, looking to the example of countries where masks are habitual, and trusting people's common sense, is a better approach than mandating anything.

Even though, during a pandemic that threatens not only lives, but health and livelihoods too, I have sympathy for health and government officials trying desperately to avoid even more strict containment measures and lock downs ... knowing how ghastly they are for everyone, and how awful it is to enforce compliance.

I personally hate masks. I understand people who feel confined, panicky and most of all, how much it sucks for people hard of hearing who rely on lip-reading.

I have huge respect for health care workers, midwives, ambos, doulas, nurses, doctors, care workers, who have all been coping with PPE for MONTHS and MONTHS now.

That said, I have zero patience and tolerance for the hi-jacking of this issue (among others) by extremists (looking hard at the far-right now) for political grist. Playing on people's anxieties and dislike of having anything mandated or dictated to us, especially when a sneaky foe is not as blatantly murderously against us as, say, V2 Blitzkrieg bombs, is a crappy thing to do during what's already a stressful time.

I also have zilch patience for the type of individualism that is causing Trump's nation to utterly implode. Ideas like, "What's the point of wearing masks, they don't protect you anyway, and how can they protect you from the virus anyway since it doesn't exist and all those deaths were MSM lies and only Truther Youtube videos source of real honest woke truth ...."  There is no suitable emoticon at this point.

I can't tell you how annoying it is to have all-American patriarchy spend a couple of decades dictating what you can wear, what you can't wear, whether you can dance or ride a bike, whether you can use contraception, how you must wear your hair, whether you allowed to wear make up, whether you're allowed to work outside The Home, and when and if and whether you can be pregnant suddenly be the ones most likely to preach, protest and post videos of themselves yelling, "MY BODY, MY CHOICE." Oh, the irony. Which is entirely lost on them.

So below, we wade through actual evidence, as we observe the insanity of a sensible debate over the pros and cons of masks getting utterly de-railed by ideology.

Wear a mask. Don't wear a mask. I don't care. If you do, try not to touch the thing with your hands. Don't dob in anyone who isn't. And consider a clear face shield if there's any chance you might happen by someone who's hearing impaired.

And if you don't, make sure it isn't because you got conned by a bunch of divisive right-wing, conpiracy-deluded, Russian-played fundamentalist Americans desperate to prop up Trump and win their 'culture' war no matter what, importing their 'cray fish' to our shores via social media inanity.

Masks for all? The Science Says Yes

More research, and masks available for Melbournians

Keep in mind that our health advice here in Australia reminds us that wearing masks is only one measure of several measures being encouraged to thwart virus transmission. No less valid are:

- hand washing

- staying home when possible

- cough ettiquette

- physical distancing

as well as, and not instead of:

- face covers, especially when the above are difficult to maintain

Rational use of face masks in the COVID-19 pandemic

"It is time for governments and public health agencies to make rational recommendations on appropriate face mask use to complement their recommendations on other preventive measures, such as hand hygiene. WHO currently recommends that people should wear face masks if they have respiratory symptoms or if they are caring for somebody with symptoms. Perhaps it would also be rational to recommend that people in quarantine wear face masks if they need to leave home for any reason, to prevent potential asymptomatic or presymptomatic transmission. In addition, vulnerable populations, such as older adults and those with underlying medical conditions, should wear face masks if available. Universal use of face masks could be considered if supplies permit. In parallel, urgent research on the duration of protection of face masks, the measures to prolong life of disposable masks, and the invention on reusable masks should be encouraged. Taiwan had the foresight to create a large stockpile of face masks; other countries or regions might now consider this as part of future pandemic plans."

Sorting out the disinformation is like playing whack-a-mole. For example, this gem:

 

How we love a cute, colourful meme with neat tidy bullet-point facts to tell us what to think. All that knowledge, in only seconds!

It saves the tedium of wading through screeds of (actual) research that uses nowhere near the same certainty of language.

Facebook post falsely claims wearing masks for coronavirus shuts down the immune system

"A Facebook post makes six claims about wearing masks for the coronavirus, such as they 'decrease oxygen intake.' Every point is false."

 

Masks for COVID-19 are effective, as a six-part Facebook takedown fails

Let's go through the 6 points:

1. "Decreases oxygen intake."

From the Frontlines: The Truth About Masks and COVID-19

"Do Masks Cause Low Oxygen Levels?

Absolutely not. We wear masks all day long in the hospital. The masks are designed to be breathed through and there is no evidence that low oxygen levels occur. There is some evidence, however, that prolonged use of N-95 masks in patients with preexisting lung disease could cause some build-up of carbon dioxide levels in the body. People with preexisting lung problems should discuss mask wearing concerns with their health care providers. There is absolutely no scientific evidence that mask wearing or physical distancing weakens the immune system."

2. "Increases toxin inhalation."

 Wearing face masks does not cause hypercapnia or affect the immune system

3. "Shuts down immune system."

No, wearing a face mask during the pandemic will not weaken your immune system

4. "Increases virus risk."

Face Mask Use and Control of Respiratory Virus Transmission in Households

"Masks may therefore play an important role in reducing transmission during a severe influenza pandemic."

No evidence that using a face mask helps coronavirus enter the brain

"There is no evidence showing that wearing a face mask increases the risk of SARS-CoV-2 entering the brain or of neurological symptoms from COVID-19.

Claims that wearing a face mask causes “accumulation of carbon dioxide” is contradicted by the fact that face mask filters are large enough to allow gas molecules such as carbon dioxide and oxygen to pass through freely. Healthcare workers who wear masks for long periods of time do not demonstrate significant impairment in work performance, as would be the case if masks caused hypercapnia."

There is no evidence for the claim that wearing a face mask increases the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the brain. His statement that the use of face masks leads to serious health risks is also unsupported. While face masks and cloth face coverings do not provide 100% protection from infection, they still play an important role in reducing the risk of disease transmission by reducing the dispersal of infectious droplets containing the virus, which is the main mode of COVID-19 transmission."

5. "Scientifically inaccurate."

OK, sit down with the authors of these 104 studies and argue that one through. I'll wait.

Face Masks Against COVID-19: An Evidence Review

6. "Effectiveness not studied." 

Oh really? What's this then, chopped liver?

Respiratory virus shedding in exhaled breath and efficacy of face masks

Identifying airborne transmission as the dominant route for the spread of COVID-19

Masks for the public: laying straw men to rest

Oh, the internet. How do we love thee? Thanks to Trisha Greenhalgh for this huge improvement on the earlier travesty.

A doctor's perspective. Why everyone wearing masks, even those who are well, beats having to be intubated:

The New Stability

"Thirty days before I met you, we didn’t wear masks in the streets or in the halls of the hospital. The CDC said they were no use. Back then, the federal government had few plans for facing the pandemic other than sitting still and hoping for the best. True, the masks and antiviral wipes had vanished from the floors, and the residents were told to sanitize our workstations with inch-wide alcohol swabs, and the international news showed helicopter views of mass graves in Italy and Iran. No one, we were told, could have seen this coming."

 

Face Masks Really Do Matter. The Scientific Evidence Is Growing. 

New research suggests that face coverings help reduce the transmission of droplets, though some masks are more protective than others.

MASKS - yet another issue hi-jacked for political grist 

Pastor refuses to wear face mask because he can’t ‘picture Jesus wearing a mask’

How Freedom Became Free-dumb in America - Why the World is Horrified by the American Idiot

Cloth masks don't fare too badly in this test:

Researchers created a test to determine which masks are the least effective

- N95 is the best, as we already knew.

- 3-ply surgical masks also did well, so did 3-ply cotton woven masks 

- Don't bother with knitted fabric masks or fleece coverings or folded bandanas

- And your home made cotton, tight-woven masks hold their own: "This is a very powerful visual tool to raise awareness that a very simple masks, like these homemade cotton masks, do really well to stop the majority of these respiratory droplets".