[a9h74j]

Per Chris Martenson[1], three reasons for every person to wear a mask:

- Stops infected people [including asymptomatic] from expelling infectious particles.

- Helps remind you not to touch your face [and precludes direct touch to mouth and nose--where mucus membranes are vulnerable].

- Much better chance of a low inoculum [a smaller initial viral load results in less severe symptoms].

[1] https://youtu.be/i6Gy9nPAQE0?t=1988

[ardy42]

> Helps remind you not to touch your face [and precludes direct touch to mouth and nose--where mucus membranes are vulnerable].

I like these instructional videos about how to put masks on and take them off, because they emphasize that you should be washing your hands when you put the masks on and take them off.

How to Put on a Surgical Mask: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWnTCZWYOBw

N95 3M mask: How to Wear & Remove: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoxpvDVo_NI

The mask won't do as much good if you just end up transferring the virus to your face after taking it off.

[ethagknight]

If the virus is present on your mask, it most likely would have already been in your body without the mask.

NNTaleb: Asymmetry: error FROM NOT wearing masks is vastly costlier than the error FROM wearing masks.

https://twitter.com/nntaleb/status/1244976894686179328?s=21

EDIT- I think I wasn’t clear— mask is critical protection, and the risk of infection from wearing one incorrectly is far lower than not having one at all. I was just responding to the final paragraph that the mask doesn’t do much good if transferred from mask to mouth during removal— very true, but it also reduces the quantity of the virus ingested.

[dragontamer]

> If the virus is present on your mask, it most likely would have already been in your body without the mask.

On the contrary. The virus is on the mask. That's why doctors / nurses wear masks, so that the virus gets stuck in the mask instead of in the doctor.

Now that the virus is on the mask, you need to treat it as if it were a contaminated object.

[GordonS]

> Helps remind you not to touch your face

Hmm, I'm not sure about this one. Going to the pharmacy today, I noticed some people wearing masks, and just in the short time I saw them, many were adjusting/fiddling with their masks.

[abdullahkhalids]

There is a definitely a learning period when you wear a new type of garment eg. suits or turtle necks, when you adjust a lot. Then you learn over time, and stop adjusting so much.

If you are concerned you will infect yourself by touching your face too much, just wear a mask at home for a few days, and get over the adjustment phase in a safe environment.

[joering2]

Mask will stop viruses getting through. Definitely adjusting mask is less hazardous than not wearing one and touching your face. Its interesting for me to just now notice how everyone constantly touches thier face all the time in some way or another.

In this attempt by the US government to stop this pandemic I found their suggestion not to wear mask the most disgenuine of all, especially knowing that countries with high mask wear awareness see this virus much more under control. In the same paragraph they already express they really need those masks for themselves so they don’t want you to hoard. Another argument was they only help when you sick. So all medical personel is sick? What a BS! Even more when they know you may be asymptomatic for up to 9 days.

The only thing I can think of equal to this would be if during HIV outbreak they were to tell you not to use condoms at all because study shows they don’t protect exact 100% times, and you can cut your member with your nail while you putting the rubber on, making it more prone to infections than when you’re actually wearing one.

Government really messed up on this one. Once the dust settles it will probably go into history books how our government suggestion not to buy/wear mask caused USA to be #1 in statistics.

[GordonS]

To be clear, I'm not disputing that masks could stop people expelling or inhaling infectious particles - it's just the claim about not touching your face that doesn't ring true to me.

I do however think that, in general, masks are more needed by healthcare workers. They are on the frontline of COVID-19, and have no choice but to get up close to infected patients - most normal people are able to practise social distancing.