[throwaway743]

>a) there is a weird social effect in much of the West where people get panicky, and somehow view someone else wearing a mask as increasing the odds, or at least the reality, that they instead will get sick

Definitely experienced the stigma of wearing one in public. Have had reactions ranging from stares to hurriedly moving away from me.

> We need to discard with that bullshit. We know with overwhelming evidence that masks work

To add, why else would NY ask older folks to wear masks when going outside?

Also, this NIH study adds to support that masks are effective.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22485453

[endorphone]

"Definitely experienced the stigma of wearing one in public"

People can be deeply illogical when it comes to personal protection. I did a summer stint during college with a factory, assembling some part of an air conditioner system for cars. This was done with huge, incredibly loud machines. Fiberglass. Etc.

The company offered ear plugs, eye protection and masks. No one used them. There was a 0% utilization rate. It was bizarre. I did, however, and earned snarky comments, critical suggestions, and lots of sideways glances. People really seemed to feel that my concern for myself made the threats more real.

I'd like to say that when I left everyone had followed the path I blazed, but it was the same as it always was. People still sabotaged their own health and hearing to avoid looking "paranoid".

[magduf]

Where was this?

I used to work as an intern at a shipbuilding company making aircraft carriers. People wore stuff when they were required to, so hard hats were always worn, and the attached earmuffs seemed to be generally worn when someone was working with something very loud.

However, at one point I was helping an inspection in a tank and there was a noxious odor, and I couldn't breathe in it. The shipyard worker with me went ahead and went in and did the test, but after this I tried to procure a respirator and they refused to get me one, saying it wasn't necessary for the work I was doing.

Music concerts are another place where you don't see people using personal protection much, though I will say that's changed in the last 10 years from what I've seen. I do see a minority (but a growing one) of people wearing earplugs, and we now have a lot of choices for "musician's earplugs" being sold which are designed to have a neutral frequency attenuation.

[throwaway_pdp09]

A quick scan and search does not use the word 'mask' or 'protection' anywhere I can see.

> why else would NY ask older folks to wear masks when going outside?

I don't know. Is there any evidence that significant proportion of experts are recommending this practice, and why BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING FOR.