The fact that countries like Spain who enforce mask wearing have a much lower rate of infection than the UK is empirical evidence. More scientific studies like this https://www.pnas.org/content/118/4/e2014564118 Or this https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02801-8 also show the persuasive evidence that wearing masks to reduce the droplets and aerosols breathed out by people carrying the virus reduces transmission. It beggars belief we’re still having this conversation nearly 20 months into the pandemic. Where are you getting your evidence that masks aren’t effective from?
I have been reading some studies just now. Turns out they are more effective than I assumed they are. Apologies ChilcoSaint il hold my hands up
Masks along with distancing, hygiene, avoiding crowds, ventilation and vaccination. Those and other precautions will lead to some sort of control of the virus. Your original "absolutely nothing" is now " I grant you that a modest effect is better than no effect on transmission".
Well said Stevo. Being an old fart in a high risk group and having lost a disproportionate number of friends and family over the last while I'm a bit sensitive. Masks also help with containing the flu and other respiratory desceases. Not a big inconvenience really.
Sorry for your losses StJabbo1. I realise how insensitive my post saying mask don't work was so apologies for that
The messaging around masks last year was all wrong. I couldn't believe it when WHO and the Govt were saying they made no difference when everyone in the East was saying otherwise.
Hi Steve. I’m interested as to why you originally thought that was, especially after such a long period of people / organisations saying it was effective & a good first line defence. We’ve just come back from Malta & there it’s mandatory to mask up on public transport, shops & hotels. Btw, never been before & can highly recommend; virtually everyone speaks English, drive on left & weather for 2nd week October was amazing! Ok, back to business; so what made you believe masks were ineffective when there’s been so much made public that they are beneficial. The reason I ask is not particularly aimed at you but if you were not convinced there must be many others like yourself & how should “we” convince?
There was mixed messaging about masks, but I just went on common sense....any protection is better than none.
Just got back from Mauritius (best place I've ever been, incredible people too) - their economy is very tourism based, and so they're rightly nervous about having Covid come in hard to hit them, now they've reopened. There's a fine of 5,000 Mauritian rupees for anyone not wearing a mask in a public place - on the spot fine. That's about £100. ALL the locals there think their PM is doing an excellent job. But then all the locals there are incredibly community focussed, and utterly selfless. The contrast on arriving back here has been very, very stark.
Same here in the Netherland as is the rising numbers and lack of an efficient test program. We were ahead of the government with our precautions initially and behind with much of the relaxation now.
There was so much conflicting evidence around mask use. Also doesn't help that there is so much misinformation out there. Problem is so many people don't want to change there beliefs on mask even tho the evidence supports the use of them. But like others have said. Wearing a mask is a small inconvenience compared to people losing loved ones and friends to corona virus
This is mask relevant, https://qz.com/299003/a-quick-history-of-why-asians-wear-surgical-masks-in-public/
Interesting StJabbo1.the paragraph below is from that article . It's an example of mixed evidence on the effectiveness of mask The reality is that the woven-cloth surgical masks provide minimal protection from environmental viruses anyway. (Surgeons use them to protect patients from their mouth-borne germs, not the other way around.)
But that’s exactly what the advice on mask-wearing has always been, right from the very start. You wear a mask to protect others from you, not the other way round. This is why I get angry when people aren’t wearing masks in shops and on buses, as I found on my trip to Bath today. And don’t get me started on those vile super-spreading children!!!
The simple diagram I posted before shows the benefit and, of course, the better quality the better protection.
The biggest issue, for me, about the wearing of masks is that the government will not set a good example. When people tune in to PMQs and see the entire ruling party NOT wearing masks it sends out the wrong message. It tells people that is ok NOT to wear them in crowded, indoor environments, which then raises the risk of higher infection rates.
