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[–]mongre 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

If you're wearing a mask, especially now, you're an idiot.

[–]infocom6502[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

I disagree. Masks are critical for public indoor spaces.

They attenuate viral debris one exhales, reducing the range and probability of infecting others. It also partially filters intake air, reducing your own risk significantly. If you take in under a certain amount of viruses per day the risk of infection is very low (I think the number is somewhere between 10 and 100 live viruses), especially with a working immune system (enough vit D, C, trace metals, and avg to above avg body temperature).

i don't want to have the above link be taken as an anti-masker statement. But it is good to see both sides. I think both sides have some valid points.

Eg., down sides to masks as well (one just needs to be aware of these): For instance, treat the outside of a recently heavily used mask as a potentially highly contaminated surface. Avoid touching it or getting food on it. Rotate and disinfect masks periodically.

Anyway, I may reduce use of surgical masks that have a funny smell to them, and switch to KN95 and cloth.

Still am very curious what hte function of the teflon is in these masks. That specifically is my main science question to this board (since it is the ask science forum). If anyone knows or can guess, fire away.

[–]mongre 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

You assume first that viruses are "bad" and that they haven't been coexisting with us for millennia and second that masks actually help. Read the ACTUAL research on the subject and you will see masks are being used as a tool for fear and do next to nothing to promote heath.

[–]ActuallyNot 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

You assume first that viruses are "bad" and that they haven't been coexisting with us for millennia and second that masks actually help.

COVID-19 is "bad".

Masks help.

Read the ACTUAL research on the subject

You found a paper for which the margin of error is greater than the effect. Congratulations. We should therefore conclude that there is no effect?

Or should we look around for other papers, or better yet, an analysis of many papers looking at the subject.

TL/DR: mask mandates reduce new diagnoses on a state level by a percent or so. Wearing a mask reduces chance of being infected by something more like 70%.

[–]mongre 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Well, kids...we found a shill!

See part VI and best of luck with your shilling, idiot.

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/30-facts-you-need-know-covid-cribsheet

[–]ActuallyNot 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I'm not a shill, and I'm not an idiot. Please don't drag down the discussion.

Zerohedge are spinning those papers quite a lot.

The first one they correctly quote that "no significant reduction in influenza transmission with the use of face masks", but the central estimate of the analysis still favours mask use, with a risk ratio of 0.78: (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.51–1.20; I2 = 30%, p = 0.25)

But the better key is the paper I link to above, especially the note that An increasing number of ecological studies have also provided persuasive evidence that universal mandatory mask wearing policies have been associated with reductions in the number or rate of infections and deaths

[–]infocom6502[S] 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I go on fundamentals. In this case it's physics and fluid mechanics. You are attenuating expulsion of droplets and thus decreasing (not eliminating) risks of contamination, thus reducing the range of the radius of moderate risk.

This fluid mechanics effect is also why these are used in surgeries.

SARS2 is not a natural virus. And even if it were natural, not all natural viruses are harmless. Some definitely are horrible as eff**.