Important Mask Facts

https://aapsonline.org/mask-facts/

Thanks Worcester. Massachusetts is doing a fairly good job, I see many many people in masks even alone, walking down a street with no one near them. It is other areas that seem to disbelieve the importance of masks. Scary stuff. I have mine and I know that between that, washing, sanitizing, and wearing the masks, staying out of any crowded areas, I am taking care of myself. I went to the market for the first time in four months. Not an enjoyable trip, could not wait to get out. Thank God my son is around to do the heavy stuff for me and Bill.

Florida is a scary place right now, are you still in Sarasota??? Take care of yourself and stay safe

Worcester

I read several of the underlying articles that were referenced in the aaps publication.  In general, the article dissuades people from wearing masks.

More recent articles indicate that wearing masks reduce the spread of Covid-19.  As the volume of data increases each day, scientists should be better equipped for a more accurate assessment.

The current spread of Covid 19 is very disappointing.  It is turning into a wildfire.  People just don't care and as a result they are unwilling to make small sacrifices for the good of humanity.  Conflicting messages adds to the confusion about how to slow this run away train down.  

My annual trip to Boston will not happened.  That means no fried clams with the bellies.  Oh the humanity!

Worcester,

No offense to you personally, but IMO this is not to be trusted.

The article included the following:

“Masks may confuse that message and give people a false sense of security. If masks had been the solution in Asia, shouldn’t they have stopped the pandemic before it spread elsewhere?”

It seems to me that this is mostly propaganda to NOT wear masks.  I do not trust the source, AAPS.  They are still pushing for Hydroxychloroquine use.

From what I have read, this is a fringe group (only 5000 members in the USA) that is more political than medical.

Reader beware.

gyso

Follow your instincts. I still believe, staying away from crowds is important. Sure there is overkill, but I would rather be safe than sorry. I am careful, period

RosalieTCeltics wrote:Follow your instincts. I still believe, staying away from crowds is important. Sure there is overkill, but I would rather be safe than sorry.  I am careful, period

Rosalie

Please join the forum meeting tomorrow. You will be able to practice social distancing and not have to wear a mask...lol

Read the AAPS article on masks with more perspicacity. It does dissuade people from wearing ineffective cloth masks and suggests that medical masks which are 55% effective be reserved for clinicians. I suspect this article was written before medical masks had become widely available, which they are now. Wearing cloth masks which are perhaps 10% effective does give people a false sense of security. I always wear a mask in public except when I can easily social distance. I wear either a high quality medical mask - 55 to 70 % effective - or the N95 mask. I also handle them carefully, good advice given in the article. Yes, the article advocates HCQ, as do I. The fact that HCQ is politically unpopular and has been somewhat ostracized should be a clue to the observant. It is effective. Dismiss it at your own risk. Expensive alternatives such as Remdesivir do not work so well. AAPS publishes articles with which I disagree strongly, such as minimizing the health risks from nuclear radiation.They publish articles with which I am in full accord, and they publish articles which contain both some valuable points and others that are simply incorrect. This article is in the latter category. My takeaway from it is wear high quality masks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-w_yWD5DHY
Howard Stern's guest Doctor spells out why mask wearing is key.

Dr. Agus and Howard Stern make excellent points well worth following. However, they neglected to say wear high quality masks! Thanks for this post, BingBang! (An allusion to Bobby Darrin's song, Splish Splash?)