conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of a mask

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salayatananirodha
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conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of a mask

Post by salayatananirodha »

i am concerned about the effectiveness of a mask for health reasons. from my own reading and understanding, masks seem to protect other people more than they protect the wearer, and the protection you can get from wearing is for the prevention of inhaling large droplets. however, covid is in the air as aerosols which are smaller than the pores in a mask; am i correct?

i'm vaccinated (double dose pfizer) and i have given up wearing a mask at work. we have barriers between us and the customer and nearly all of us are vaccinated -- the ones who are not have to wear a mask. i also don't wear one at the grocery store. have been to a handful of smaller shops. ate out once and also went to a movie with very few people in theater. i dont go to bars nightclubs or wherever crowds are (unless you count the grocery store). i haven't worn one at my local wat (temple) where i've been told most of the regular people and the monks are vaccinated. but i have been urged by some to wear a mask to protect myself.

i am not trying to make this a political thing, but i think the recommendations that keep being handed down are not from a place of true knowledge. it also seems like covid behaves sort of independently of humanity's behavior to avoid it.

i am willing to be wrong, or else i wouldn't make a topic. i have a harder time finding out what is believable or true due to the shutting down of questions and dissent with 'science' which is a buzzword.

my mom has rejected the vaccine thus far and even tho i'm frustrated with her for doing that, i do not want to accidentally shed virus into her and make her sick. even tho its not my intention i would feel sadness and other burdensome feelings

i guess my question is what evidence is there that a mask will protect against covid significantly better than just avoiding direct contact (being mindful of the distance between you and another person) and not going to places where a bunch of unvaccinated people are congregating
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Inedible
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Re: conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of a mask

Post by Inedible »

If you can smell someone's cologne, your mask is not keeping droplets out. That is why at the hospital where I work they have "fit testing." This means that they try different types of masks to see which is most effective at blocking chemicals. Such as a very bitter-tasting mist. I'm not involved in direct patient care, so I haven't been through the process.
pegembara
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Re: conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of a mask

Post by pegembara »

Covid is now airborne. Witness the tremendous surge and the relative lower effectiveness of masking, social distancing and lockdowns. How long can you keep the mask on when you are at home!

I would strongly encourage your mom to get vaccinated as this virus is not going away.
With the Delta variant, even full vaccination cannot protect against transmission and milder infection.
You could suggest that you cannot visit her unless she gets vaccinated for her own protection.

In indoor spaces, the social distancing become meaningless without adequate ventilation.
And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, & from idle chatter: This is called right speech.
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salayatananirodha
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Re: conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of a mask

Post by salayatananirodha »

i live with my mom actually or else it wouldnt be such an issue

seems like the air is good where i am but i avoid peoples personal fans blowing toward me
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dharmacorps
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Re: conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of a mask

Post by dharmacorps »

The scientific effectiveness of masks in the spread of disease isn't under debate-- they are effective in limiting spread of respiratory infections especially when worn properly. What is happening is a political and public health policy debate, which is unfortunately a incoherent mess much like the government response to covid-19 has been in general. I plan on wearing a mask for quite some time yet because it is easy, of no risk to me, and of immense potential benefit to others. Let the politicians, pundits, paranoiacs, and people otherwise stressed to the limit over the pandemic squabble over it if they want to. I'll wait till things calm down.
Justsit
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Re: conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of a mask

Post by Justsit »

The effectiveness is also dependent on the type of mask.If you can get one, an N95 is best at blocking small particles; then surgical mask (the disposable blue ones); then cloth mask, least effective. Any mask is better than none, especially with the delta variant now in play.
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salayatananirodha
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Re: conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of a mask

Post by salayatananirodha »

yeah, not seeing the evidence. i agree masks are helpful but the way they are helpful is different IMO.
wearing a n95 is not realistic for me, they are hard to breathe in and i mostly dont have covid19 patients in my face (im not a doctor nurse etc)
seems like the aerosols will just float thru or around the regular mask, and i can avoid droplets by keeping my distance from others.

i did feel differently before the cdc put out the previous mask recommendation. either it's still true that vaccinated people are mostly safe to go mask-free indoors and the new recommendation is for political reasons, or it was not ever true that vaccinated people are safe without a mask, in which case the cdc is not a trustworthy body.

instead of saying 'masks don't work' last year they should have said 'we want to avoid a mask shortage'. i simply don't find them credible
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salayatananirodha
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Re: conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of a mask

Post by salayatananirodha »

to clarify, i mean that, previously long ago, masks were thought of this way, that they are more to protect others than oneself. and the new recommendation appears to be applying to that; can transmit virus to unvaccinated people so wear a mask even if vaccinated. but now people are saying that i need one to protect myself, when this is plainly sort of contrary to the narrative i've heard
hope this makes sense
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Justsit
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Re: conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of a mask

Post by Justsit »

Most, if not all, health care professionals I know, myself included, have no hesitancy wearing a mask. Having seen the devastating results of failure to do so tends to strongly encourage masking.

Personally, in situations like this, I would always err on the side of caution. Guessing wrong can be fatal.
asahi
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Re: conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of a mask

Post by asahi »

In my country 3 frontliners healthcare staff dies of covid19 even they had 2 jabs over 2 months already . They are well equipped with mask , face shield and healthcare suits . There is no guarantees .
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Mkoll
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Re: conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of a mask

Post by Mkoll »

my mom has rejected the vaccine thus far and even tho i'm frustrated with her for doing that, i do not want to accidentally shed virus into her and make her sick. even tho its not my intention i would feel sadness and other burdensome feelings
If you live with your mom who refuses to get vaccinated, it might make sense for you to wear a mask for her sake. Even though you're vaccinated, you can still get Covid and spread it to her. It spreads easily among people who live together. Better still, gently convince her to get vaccinated ASAP. Remember the Buddha's teaching about carrying one's parents on one's shoulders...
i guess my question is what evidence is there that a mask will protect against covid significantly better than just avoiding direct contact (being mindful of the distance between you and another person) and not going to places where a bunch of unvaccinated people are congregating
N95s most certainly protect the wearer. An N95 is more difficult to breathe in than other masks, but you get used to it. I don't think I could exercise in one very well, but anything less strenuous is not difficult. I'm speaking as someone without respiratory or cardiovascular problems, so the story may be different if you have any of those...

Social distancing, avoiding crowded places, masks, etc...individual interventions are best seen via the framework of the "swiss cheese model" IMO. Here's a NYT article explaining it. It's a useful framework for a number of things. For example, driving a car safely. You don't just put on a seatbelt and expect that's enough to protect you. You also stop at red lights, don't drive at dangerous speeds, don't drive intoxicated or drowsy, don't text and drive, maintain situational awareness of what other drivers are doing around you, etc. It's the combined effects of those individual layers of protection that keeps you (and others) safe.
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Bundokji
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Re: conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of a mask

Post by Bundokji »

salayatananirodha wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 1:33 am my mom has rejected the vaccine thus far and even tho i'm frustrated with her for doing that, i do not want to accidentally shed virus into her and make her sick. even tho its not my intention i would feel sadness and other burdensome feelings
I suggest you do not interfere with your mother's decision about vaccination. If you feel fearful that you might cause her harm, then wearing a mask when you are in close contact with her would not cause harm even if there is no certainty about its effectiveness. It might mitigate your fears though by following "experts" advice.

On the contrary, just imagine convincing your mom to get vaccinated to mitigate your own fears, and then she gets harmed by the vaccine. Best to acknowledge uncertainty, which would help mitigate fear and respect others choices. Also respecting her choices, even when it differs from yours, might improve the quality of whatever time left to her in this lifetime, which is why most people want to survive anyway.
And the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus, saying: "Behold now, bhikkhus, I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness!"

This was the last word of the Tathagata.
dharmacorps
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Re: conflicting opinions on the effectiveness of a mask

Post by dharmacorps »

You could tell your mother that you will bring her to get vaccinated any time she wants, but tell her as long as she remains unvaccinated, you will not be in her presence for fear of spreading it to her. You can tell her that her decision to not get the vaccine is putting her health at risk and putting you in a very awkward position because you love her and don't want her to get sick or die, and until you both are vaccinated this will be a problem. Tough love, but stubborn people need it too.
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