[bluGill]

There are not enough masks in the world for everybody to wear one. The US is best rationing the masks we have to those who need them most.

In many Asian countries the air is bad enough that most people wear a mask anyway for pollution reasons. Thus there is more mask availability infrastructure in place (I don't think SK was ever that bad but I don't know)

[avar]

DIY masks such as simply pulling your T-Shirt up above your nose already help a lot[1], so not enforcing some manner of mask use for 100% of the population on the basis of an insufficient amount of surgical masks doesn't make any sense.

1. https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/diy-homemade-mask-protec...

[davidw]

The implication is that South Korea has the resources and technology to produce and distribute masks to its citizens.

But I'd love to hear the details from someone that knows more. That's potentially a lot of masks to be churning out.

[bluGill]

they are taking masks that could be used here instead. There are so any masks made in the world so every use of one is a mask that someone else couldn't use.

Obviously factories have abilities to ramp up production to meet demand so the above is simplistic. However they can only ramp up so far (or fast) when the limit is reached the above applies.

[radu_floricica]

They are paper masks, not computers. It's trivial to produce them in adequate quantities, if a large enough actor really wants to.

[bronson]

Billions of paper masks in a matter of weeks? Even if the raw manufacturing capacity existed (unlikely), have you considered the supply chain and downstream logistics?

You know, "if a large enough actor really wants to" applies just as well well to computers as it does to paper masks.

[mntmoss]

The other day I spotted in the SF Chronicle a picture from the 1918 pandemic showing a gathering of people manufacturing gauze masks. [0] Gauze appears to be out of favor as a barrier material today, although I suppose one could get creative and add a paper barrier layer. There are several viable materials for the goal of mitigating transmission. At any rate, this is something open to some guided improvisation with existing supplies.

[0] https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sfchronicle.com/oursf/amp/L...

[davidw]

This is why I'm curious about the details.

I don't think any of us are experts in the supply chain logistics of South Korean face masks. I'd rather read about it from someone who is than guessing.