Quote:
Originally Posted by jet10s
New England Journal of Medicine - May 21, 2020 Perspective on Universal Masking
We know that wearing a mask outside health care facilities offers little, if any, protection from infection. Public health authorities define a significant exposure to Covid-19 as face-to-face contact within 6 feet with a patient with symptomatic Covid-19 that is sustained for at least a few minutes (and some say more than 10 minutes or even 30 minutes). The chance of catching Covid-19 from a passing interaction in a public space is therefore minimal. In many cases, the desire for widespread masking is a reflexive reaction to anxiety over the pandemic. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM p2006372
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So, the article is talking about universal masking
in the hospital setting. You've selectively referenced various text from the article to infer a point the authors did not make themselves. Here is the full article with the full title.
Universal Masking in Hospitals in the Covid-19 Era
Here is an interesting article on the spread of the virus:
The Risks - Know Them - Avoid Them
Wearing a mask outside is probably not going to make any difference in most settings. The probability of getting sufficient exposure to contract the virus is minimal depending on the environment, as is the potential to contract the virus from touching surfaces outdoors. That said, practicing social distancing and good hygiene is still recommended and provides an additional layer of safety that will potentially reduce the transmission rate (which is already likely low).
However, in buildings/rooms/areas where symptomatic and asymptomatic carriers may be confined for extended periods (restaurants, bars, stores, etc.) the probability is much different. Wearing a mask won't guarantee that you won't get the virus. It will have some impact on reducing the transmission rate (R0) which is what has to happen for this to no longer be an issue. You obviously cannot wear a mask in a restaurant or bar but in convenience stores, grocery stores, etc. where there are confined spaces the risk rises and wearing a mask in those settings may reduce (not eliminate) the transmission rate.