I discussed masks yesterday with someone.

Mar 31, 2020, 12:06 PM

Well, what do you know..... Everyone knew it. Doctors know it.

https://news.yahoo.com/cdc-considering-encouraging-people-cover-101158880.html

https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/kzBOtBV1M4214OUo3GihRg--~B/aD0xMzg4O3c9MTg1MTtzbT0xO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://media.zenfs.com/EN/business_insider_articles_888/e0142dc24e0afd0d4a391a8511465268">

The CDC is said to be considering asking people to cover their face in public — but would reserve masks for medical workers

So far, the CDC advises social distancing, handwashing, and staying home as the main ways to avoid the coronavirus. Medics have lacked equipment.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/cdc-considering-recommending-general-public-wear-face-coverings-in-public/2020/03/30/6a3e495c-7280-11ea-87da-77a8136c1a6d_story.html

CDC considering recommending general public wear face coverings in public

The move would stress that medical masks be left for health-care workers.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/health/us-coronavirus-face-masks.html

More Americans Should Probably Wear Masks for Protection

Experts have started to question whether masks may offer at least some protection to healthy individuals and essential workers.

https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/03/coronavirus-pandemic-japan-shows-masks-help-slow-spread-covid-19/

A Lesson from Japan’s Fight against Coronavirus: Masks Help | National Review

Like other countries in East Asia, Japan has managed to slow the spread without massive interventions. Masks may be an important part of that recipe.

https://www.wired.com/story/its-time-to-face-facts-america-masks-work/

It's Time to Face Facts, America: Masks Work

Official advice has been confusing, but the science isn't hard to grok. Everyone should cover up.

But it was necessary to preserve the limited masks for medical staff who need them the most. And I still think they should have every good mask possible. But even a homemade woven cotton mask (studies show) will help filter 25% or more of covid sized particles. That's a 25% smaller initial infectious dose. That gives your immune system 25% more time to respond to 25% less of an initial viral load. That can mean the difference between a ventilator and death, or a bad case of the flu. Masks help. If you have some old high threadcount sheets, double layer them and make a homemade mask. A bandanna even. Even if it does not prevent the spread, it still impacts the severity of the disease and gives your body a better chance to fight it. 25% better chance fighting this is better than nothing.

A standard surgical mask will give you a 50% reduction in covid-sized particles. n95 masks are around 80%-85%. Beyond that you have to go to sealed industrial masks and they can top out at 96-98%. But a full bio-containment suit is needed for 100% security with a dedicated air supply and 100% sealed airflow in the suit. You saw those bio-containment suits used at the very start of this in China. That quickly became impossible/impractical to use.

Anyway, CDC is changing their tune. If you have surgical masks or better, donate them. THEN make a cotton mask for yourself. It will likely impact the death rate by as much as 25%-50% reduction if everyone used even a home made cotton mask. They also help asymptomatic people spread 25% less germs. So, if everyone wore a home made cotton mask, people would exhale and spread 25% less germs, and people would likewise inhale 25% less. That's a 50% combined exposure reduction. It helps.

Chinese doctors have already said the biggest mistake the rest of the world has made is in not requiring masks for everyone, healthy and sick. They're probably right. The countries who have handled this the best, have populations of people who wear masks more frequently than Americans. Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and China each have a long history of wearing masks during times of illness. The average Japanese person goes through 43 masks a year, BEFORE this virus. It's just something commonly used. The average American? Probably none, or maybe at best a few if they're doing yard work and have allergies. Next to ventilators, the next best thing we should use the national defense act for is production of n95 and surgical masks. Ideally medical professionals treating covid should all have n95 masks, and average people should have surgical masks.

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I discussed masks yesterday with someone.

Whale, chit....they’re crawling all over each other

Re: I discussed masks yesterday with someone.

I agree, opening the work place before we are prepared is...

Me, we argue everyday about some trivial issue but we are...

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