LogFAQs > #956536246

Fact 1: "Masks don't work" was stated in the context of preventing you from catching covid. Common masks being used by most people are relatively ineffective at preventing one from inhaling viral particles. Standard surgical masks are mostly intended to prevent a care provider from spewing pathogens onto a patient. When care providers are dealing with patients that have serious communicable disease, additional equipment is needed (including face shields and respirators). All of this information was known long before covid.

Fact 2: wearing a mask can result in increased likelihood of contracting disease when not done properly. Mishandling your mask by touching the inside surface (bad) with your fingers (the most likely things to touch contaminated surfaces); touching your face accidentally (again with dirty fingers) while trying to place, adjust, or remove your mask similarly can increase transmission. Ideal solution is to wash your hands before handling your mask and only touching the ear loops. This was all known long before covid.

Fact 3. People with covid symptoms were explicitly told to self quarantine if they had any symptoms. People with covid symptoms should NOT be out in public except for testing or receiving medical care, and they were instructed to wear a mask when going to the doctor to reduce the chances they would spread it to health care providers.

Fact 4. Before late March/early April, it was thought that covid was spread by people with symptoms.

With these observations in mind, it is clear why surgical/cloth masks were not recommended for asymptomatic people out in public. Note that it wasn't "we recommend (asymptomatic) people don't wear masks," it was "we do not recommend (asymptomatic people) wear masks." If you do not see the difference, try reading that again. If you think backlash against masks is bad now, imagine if it was recommended that everyone wear masks regardless of symptoms before there was evidence it was necessary.

Which brings us to ...

Fact 5. Starting in late March, it became evident that people with asymptomatic and mild covid were major drivers of spread. At this point, there was a rationale for universal masking in public: because you may be spreading covid while entirely unaware of it. While not that effective at preventing you from inhaling viral particles, surgical and cloth masks do catch a great quantity of them trying to escape your body while breathing, talking, and sneezing.


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