Roll Safe Think About It

Not all masks are equal...cloth masks are not effective.

Cloth masks are indeed less effective, but not as ineffective as no mask at all; the goal of cloth masks is to reduce the distance and volume of your emissions, not to prevent intake of the virus.

If you are not emitting (coughing or sneezing) then there is no point...and in crowded spaces like grocery stores where your emissions still get through the cloth masks and on to products and produce that other people then touch, and the inevitably touch their faces or other face coverings, which most people don't wash...this is not difficult to see there is no benefit to mandating masks or face coverings for the general public

Breathing is emitting, and small benefits are not zero benefits, just like an 80mph speed limit. Those who treat masks as pointless are coughing and sneezing in the store regularly.

Cloth masks does not prevent particle transmission, unless they are large. Science. This is not comparable to a speed limit. Thanks for the laugh though.

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/commentary-masks-all-covid-19-not-based-sound-data

https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/mask-respirators/cloth-masks-are-useless-against-covid-19

Two sources for one opinion, though certainly a respectable one. The CDC mask recommendations cite a number of recent studies https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html

So, agree to disagree? We're on the same page for hand washing and face touching.

Hospital Workers know how to put one on properly and as they wear them on a regular basis they also are conscious of observing procedures for not touching and decontamination procedures if they did.

The average user of a face mask wouldn't know the first thing about putting a mask on and is less likely to follow established practice for dealing with harm minimisation when the possibility for infection has been created.
So a mask on one hand can be of benefit but overall the case for not wearing if your not infectious is probably a better one. I heard your infection rate for most virus with people wearing masks by the general public was 40% higher than if you didn't wear a mask.

So do masks help? Depends on who is using and if you like, also who you ask.
Me - no benefit for me unless I am infected and then it's common sense that covering my airways should reduce my ability to spread the disease which is good for someone else.

Quote "I heard your infection rate for most virus with people wearing masks by the general public was 40% higher than if you didn't wear a mask."

Maybe this is why:

He pointed out that masks are a potential source of bacteria and viruses. “The moisture from exhalation inside the mask, when in constant contact with the 37 degrees Celsius warm human body, becomes ideal place for virus and bacteria to thrive,” he said. This could result in the growth of microbes on masks and aid the spread of airborne diseases like influenza.

🤔

There are other potential health risks stated in the full article below:

https://scroll.in/pulse/860276/no-good-choices-a-mask-may-block-out-some-pollution-but-have-other-ill-health-effects

I will take a look, thanks.