Surprise! All masks are not equally effective.
 

Here are the results of a Duke study. My philosophy is to wear a mask that will best do the job required and wear it when necessary. https://advances.sciencemag.org/cont...abd3083_SM.pdf

One of the important and rather shocking parts of the study was that certain "masks" are effectively worse than no mask at all !

I'm glad I had some N95 and N95 with a valve before the pandemic came along. I look at people wearing surgical mask and those fashionable mask and think about how they're still exposed to catching the virus. At least they're helping to prevent the spread of their germs if they do get it. It's disturbing to see news feeds showing people with no mask and even people purposely spitting and coughing on common touch areas in public. Covid parties, prisoners and gangs have also been in the news spreading the virus on purpose.
A person who has done a lot of research on this subject here in the villages name Goodlife said by October 1st he believes the virus will disappear. I hope he's right.

That is why I have been begging to produce N95 masks for at least the vulnerable also not just first line people. It would be so much cheaper than the trillions spent due to lockdowns. Please don’t tell me they wouldn’t know how to wear them, then teach them, like contacts, dentures etc.

So the next question is: "Where do you get the most effective masks available and of what materials are they made?"

I didn't actually say the virus would disappear. I predicted that the surge of new cases in Florida would start going down before end of July (it did) and then said that by October 1 cases and deaths would be at very low levels.

As far as masks go, I think they are better than nothing but would not trust them to protect spread or infection of very fine aerosols indoors. Safest form of protection is social distancing and stay out of buildings. If you look at places like New York where they locked down March 14 and then started recommending masks a few weeks later, the result was one of the highest death rates per million in the world.

Or look at the Philippines which has been locked down tight for almost 5 months and is the most mask compliant country in the world, but they are currently experiencing a surge of new cases which is probably worse than it looks because they don't test much. Virus appears to do it's thing no matter what we do. Fortunately, it looks like large percentages of populations have pre existing T cell immunity.


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No masks are effective! Recently found out that my daughter-in-law who is a registered nurse tested positive for Covid and of course then so did my son, and his mother. none of them had any severe symptoms and only felt a slight fever for like less than a day. My daughter-in-law wore an N 95 mask at work. Found out that the Covid molecule is small enough that it will go through even an N 95 mask. The masks you see people wearing in grocery stores and Walmart and other places are absolutely useless. You cannot hide from a virus just like you can’t hide from the common cold or the flu. Sooner or later we’re all going to be exposed to this, but the good news is it’s 99% survivable. Most people that get it don’t even know they had it. I’ll let the geniuses out here figure out why this virus has been so weaponized by the media?

Sooner or later we’re all going to be exposed to this, but the good news is it’s 99% survivable.

Exactly.

That is why taking care of yourself is so important.

It breaks my heart to see so much morbid obesity in TV.

Tell this to your surgeon someday. Omg.

Actually read the mask studies. masks make a big difference if worn right and in right places. Sitting at bar without mask totally defeats wearing good mask properly at work. My sister is a nurse at a famous hospital and they had a lot if trouble with staff getting infected by going to beach bars off hours after wearing protective gear all day. They traced their contacts and are quite sure the bar was the source of the problem.

Please note from the chart below that an N95 mask is perfect, and a regular surgical mask is nearly perfect, but an N95 mask with a valve is FAR from perfect—there are many better options. The valve lets your breath escape unfiltered, so while it may keep you safe, it doesn’t keep others as safe as some other options. These valves masks aren’t for use in settings where people could catch something from you. (In the chart, green is NO mask. Orange is how much gets through at difference sneeze velocities. No orange, no worry. Lots of orange, find something better. Fleece is by far the worst mask. The different Cotton numbers indicate thickness.)

Thank you. That’s a very useful article. I have a bunch of real surgical masks that I’ve had for several years, just like the ones I used in the OR in my youth. A couple days ago I bought a box of 25 at Lowe’s. They were made in China, of course, but so were the old ones, I assume. The old ones were substantially larger: about an inch wider and more than an inch longer. The bendable nose piece was all aluminum and held its shape much better. The non-woven fabric layers of the new ones also seem thinner and less absorbent. I’m not pleased. These smaller ones don’t cover my nose and chin nearly as well, so I assume they also let more air in and out around the edges.

Since the beginning....it has been said the mask are to slow the curve not to prevent the spread. With your family did they do contact tracing because without it are you sure where they got it from.

Across the nation we learned a lot from the hotspots N.Y. N J Mass and Ri social distancing with masks. Unfortunately June came and many states rushed to reopen without social distancing and wearing masks. We here in the US are selfish and everyone gets the information sometimes from questionable sources. Mistakes were made by the CDC, NIH along with local and federal governments. Masks wearing are considered by some as loosing a FREEDOM. Just as seat belts were a loss of Freedom but it has proven to save lives. Why do Surgeons and Nurses wear a mask it’s proven for the safety of the patient. Dentists wear masks face shields to protect them from you because everyone they deal with is suspect of disease remember the HIV Pandemic it’s still around. We all must go out with clothes in public, driveling a car we must have it insured, we mast observe traffic lights and Stop signs, we must be 21 to purchase alcohol, cigarettes again to some these represent removal of personal FREEDOMS. Wearing a mask 30 minutes in a store I can handle it easily.

Where are you getting 99% survival rate??? As of this morning 163,473 deaths out of 5,095,163 = 3.2 fatality rate. 1 out of every 33 people don't survive.

The virus molecule is small enough to go through the mask. However, see the following from fact checks:

Theory: COVID 19 virus particle size is 125 nanometers (0.125 microns); the range is 0.06 microns to .14 microns,” the post said. “The N95 mask filters down to 0.3 microns. So, N95 masks block few, if any, virions (virus particles).”

In other words, the post asserts the virus is smaller than the filter on the N95 mask, so the N95 mask doesn’t work.

Facts: Experts say this claim flies in the face of numerous studies and reflects a failure to grasp fundamental principles of how viruses behave and how face masks work.

Virus particles don’t exist alone
The science of mask functionality gets really small, really fast. The unit of measurement here is microns — 1/1000th of a millimeter.

The size-based argument against N95 laid out in this claim assumes mask filtering works something like water flowing through a net — particles in the water smaller than the net opening pass through, while larger items don’t.

But the physics involved don’t work like that at all.

The COVID-19 particle is indeed around 0.1 microns in size, but it is always bonded to something larger.

The virus attaches to water droplets or aerosols (i.e. really small droplets) that are generated by breathing, talking, coughing, etc. These consist of water, mucus protein and other biological material and are all larger than 1 micron.

“Breathing and talking generate particles around 1 micron in size, which will be collected by N95 respirator filters with very high efficiency,” said Lisa Brosseau, a retired professor of environmental and occupational health sciences who spent her career researching respiratory protection.

Some on this list will use this as yet another argument for not wearing masks. But the intelligent take away should be to wear the right masks, not that it’s better to wear no mask at all.

I’ve been trying to inform people if this very information but they choose to believe that these masks work. They don’t! Spent 40 years in healthcare and wore masks. I know what they help with and what they don’t.

I'm wondering when retailers will start paying a royalty to folks willing to wear masks that promote their products

1. Covid is what you get, AFTER you are infected with coronavirus.
2. It is the coronavirus, NOT Covid, that has the small molecules you're talking about.
3. The molecules, while yes - molecular (doh)...cannot travel AT ALL without being carried by something. In the case of coronavirus, it passes via moisture droplets from one person's face (tears, snot, saliva) to another person.
4. The masks prevent those droplets from touching your face, because they create a barrier between external moisture and your face.
5. The masks aren't foolproof, if they aren't secured to your face with an air-tight seal (as FITTED N95 masks are). But the are better than no mask at all.

Eat healthy, wash your hands, clean your touch surfaces, wear a mask in public, keep distancing as often as you can, ... it’s a virus, no virus can be eliminated- just reduced. We can build immunities. We all are human.
The saddest part... hugs. Hand shakes are replaced with nods, I know why the Japanese culture gives a prompt “bow” as respect now instead of hand shakes. Centuries ahead of USA for contact with one another.
We do our part. That’s all a person can do. Imagine if we all did it. Every little thing helps IMO, even masks, it’s better than nothing at all.

Virus disappearing
 

Not likely

Delta Airlines, United, Jet Blue and more recently announced they will no longer allow masks with valves. Just fyi in case anyone is flying.

:agree:

You can get the KN95 mask at Ace Hardware for $9 for 2 masks. Very safe mask, with filters, fits well around your face, bands around your ears, comfortable and easy breathing. My favorite mask.

When one person down-plays the risks of CV (which are not yet completely understood or quantified), then some others that listen MAY? be influenced into increasing their own risks. Enough people taking MORE risks means MORE hospitalizations, suffering, and DEATHS. The taxpayer pays for hospitals and also picks up the tab for some risk-takers hospital stays. Who is more responsible? The risk-taker or take-a-risk advocate?
PS -- Fl cases decreased recently directly BECAUSE high level "down-players" made a concerted effort to limit and discourage testing in Fl and elsewhere. Less tests, less cases, but still CV rolls on. Too bad, so sad, it is what it is as Florida's happy life style and 'good life' rolls away. It is what it is. Strange world!

Finally! Someone puts in a graph that really has MEANING. Good work!

You got the percent wrong. 3.2 percent is a 96.8 survival rate that is 1 in 96.8 survives. Not bad odds.

96.8 people would be about 97 people to make it simple. If 1 SURVIVES and 97 DIES, That is pretty bad odds. Humanity would be gone.

Well, the news.

Change the channel, or get the stats from the source:
ArcGIS Dashboards

This might help you somewhat. I just started another feed with the link.

9 Types of Masks & Their Effectiveness | Cloth, Surgical & N95 Masks

Masks with valves should not be used anywhere. Valved masks allow the exhaled air, along with the virus into the air as if the person was not wearing a mask at all. Masks with valves are useless for slowing the spread of the virus.

To get the best filtering, the mask must be made of NON-woven material. Woven fabrics are like fish nets.

Shopping is not going to get you infected unless you stop and chat with someone for an extended period of time that is infected. Walking past someone that is infected is not going to get you infected. That's why being outside is not considered really dangerous unless you are standing close and chatting for an extended time.

a BETTING PERSON
 

I also hope he's right!! It would've been helpful for the "experts" to not only recommend a mask but to also have a website to order PROPER masks! They said from the beginning NOT to purchase N95's, to leave them for the health workers.