[wisienkas]

It has been proved that most of those masks sold simply aren't closely sewed enough to stop the droplets containing the disease. So in general the mask don't help. Secondly the mask only help avoiding spreading the virus from yourself to other and it doesn't protect from receiving the virus

[mcsb4]

Please stop spreading this false information and have a look at the infection numbers in China. The masks stop droplets coming from your mouth and nose and if everybody wears them, then they are a very effective mean to massively slowing down the spreading of the virus.

No, the masks are not 100% virus tight. Yes, they prevent spreading of diseases. That's why they are worn by surgeons.

They are 20 cents a piece, that's nothing compared to the current economic costs of useless social distancing as long as people still go to work. Unless we stop the economy, masks and hand sanitizer are the way to go.

[Gupie]

This is the advise we are getting

"If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected 2019-nCoV infection."

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2...

"If you are not sick, do not buy a face mask. If you have one already and you are well, it is not recommended that you use it."

https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/03/dont-panic-the-compr...

Is this in your opinion "false information"?

[maest]

It's really baffling that the WHO is actively recommending _against_ face masks. They even go as far as saying not to wear a mask _even if you already own one_ which they arguably wouldn't do if they were worried about shortages.

I mean, maybe they're going for the social dissaproval angle - you can stop people from hoarding masks by making it socially bad to wear a mask, but that seems misguided if true.

[iends]

The information about masks is from a public health perspective and not a personnel health perspective due to a global mask shortage. Just because it’s better for society as a whole that all PPE go to where they can help the most people, doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the best result for you as an individual.

If there were an infinite supply of masks the advice would be entirely different.

[f0ok]

Not directly, but they are stating they are not recommended, when in fact, they help a bit: - wearing something on your face will help you remember not to touch your face. It's not much, but it's something to reduce spread by hand to mouth contact. - if the mask has good filtration (N95+, sealed on the side), it still offers some protection against dropplet. - if the person wearing it is infected but asymptomatic, they will reduce, at least a bit, the spread (e.g. when sneezing), as long as they're not wearing one with a valve.

So, some protection is better than no protection. Consequently, It's difficult for me to understand why discouraging people from using face masks is a good idea.

Use it properly and keep social distancing, while regularly cleaning your hands.

[factsaresacred]

Not the op, however this advise is misguided.

If you're sick but don't know it, your coughing/breathing is spreading the virus.

So everyone wearing a mask prevents the infected, including those that don't know that they're infected, from spreading the disease.

And for those who are not sick, it may offer small protections.

Tiny downside for a large upside.

[lolc]

The mask not only keeps airborne droplets in, or out. It keeps the wearer from touching mouth and nose involuntarily. This helps protect against smear infections!

I noticed this when I was wearing one during a flu infection. My fingers were frequently surprised to touch the mask instead of my face, and I went "oh, right, don't do that!"

[geomark]

This. Despite trying to be continuously concious about touching my face I am sometimes surprised that I absent mindedly do it. And now when I do it I am reminded and I immediately pull out my little bottle of hand gel and lather up.

[kerng]

It's interesting how much different, and even opposing information is floating around. Just the other day I read an article that said masks are bad because you will and need to touch your face more often...

Regardless, most reputable source for advice is probably from WHO, even though my gut feel/logic would tell me otherwise.

[lolc]

Most objections to masks are simply made up to justify not having to wear one. That claim is also not backed up by anything but a gut feeling, mind you :-)

[j7ake]

The relevant question is not whether droplets can bypass a mask or not.

The specific question that is relevant is, given droplet exposure containing COVID, are there any differences in infection rates for people wearing a mask (use different levels of mask protection for comprehensiveness, from bandana to N95) versus without a mask?

A mask can be only 10-20% effective but still show a clinically relevant result. If you think about the effectiveness of washing your hands to prevent getting sick, it is probably a low reduction but it is still highly recommended.

People do not argue against hand washing just because the virus can still get into your system through other means. They support hand washing despite its imperfections.

[crispyporkbites]

> So in general the mask don't help.

Is that proven?

> Secondly the mask only help avoiding spreading the virus from yourself to other and it doesn't protect from receiving the virus

Doesn't this contradict your first statement? In fact the statement contradicts itself, stopping spreading the virus from one person to another by definition protects from receiving the virus.

[sokoloff]

Not necessarily. If the primary vector is respiration but the reception can be through mucous membranes, then a mask that doesn’t cover the eyes (or doesn’t protect hands which later rub your eyes), then a mask would be more effective on those infected than it would be for those not infected.

[lolc]

As far as I know a mask is more effective to contain when worn by the infected. But that doesn't mean the not-infected (including those who mistakenly think they are not infected!) to not wear one. Because it does protect. Not only from airborne droplets but also from smear infections.

Reducing the likelihood of infection by ten percent can make the difference between eradication and an epidemic.

[sokoloff]

It absolutely helps. I was only describing how asymmetry in effect can arise from symmetry in a passive filter.

[neuronic]

> Secondly the mask only help avoiding spreading the virus from yourself to other and it doesn't protect from receiving the virus

This is a large contribution for containment. Masks should be worn by anybody at this point.

[mtreis86]

Avoiding spreading from yourself to others is half the battle though.