Let’s see... believe what almost every expert on this virus says about masks and almost every study of thousands about masks...or a internet poster on a Disney board. I’ll take my chances on Fauci and the others.
I agree, but in doing so I am relying on others to abridge and summarize that information, and I always love hearing differing opinions. I have not personally read all masks studies out there, but I think even laymen can see some value in it.
A mask obviously reduces aerosols, both in volume and velocity outgoing from the wearer. The droplet size/cross-section that a mask interferes with varies with the type of mask. A mask also is a visual reminder to socially distance. Early on I think Fauci was trying to preserve N-95 inventory in the USA for situations that were known then to be of greater need/risk. Having surgery performed without a mask means that the patient whose normal 'skin defense' is compromised due to the incision would be exposed to more bacteria and virus from the health worker's breaths. Plus they didn't think covid was as easily spread as it seems to be now shown.
I am vaccinated against Covid-19 with the Pfizer vaccine (Both shots in September), but I still wear a mask in indoor spaces where strangers gather. I may personally believe that the chances of me getting or passing on Covid-19 is small, but I still wear a mask where required. Studies have not yet proven that a vaccinated person cannot be a short term asymptomatic carrier[But animal studies point to it]. Also, how would anyone know I am vaccinated vs an avid no masker.[Some organization such as the IATA are working on digital vaccination records]
Of course a mask can be a negative to one's health too. I was at the local car dealership getting my car repaired. I waited in the customer lounge along with my wife and two other customers. I had my mask on, I started to want to sneeze. I then sneezed with my mask on into my elbow. Now if one looks at why the body sneezes it does so in order to get something it doesn't want out. So sneezing into my mask [without replacing it with a new one], and then wearing it, will increase the chance that whatever my body was ejecting getting back in. That is not in one's personal interest, but is in other people's interest.
Same reason I volunteered in 2005 to go to North Victory Camp in Iraq to help support the soldiers there, literally had mortar round land 50 yards from me. The work that brought me there may have helped save lives, even if it risked mine a little . Volunteering for phase 3 vaccine trials, may help save lives, and risk mine a little. But all of these choices increase one's own risk. But those were my own individual choices, not mandated by the government. I do not think wearing a mask risks one's own life much for the majority of people.
Wearing a mask may make a healthy person feel that its a little harder to breath, their glasses steam up, they cannot communicate as easily with others in a non-verbal manner, cause minor skin infections due to contact with the skin, but it is something one can do to support the community where it is desired. How much should be left up to individual responsibility vs community coercion in a country founded on individual freedom within limits is something that people can disagree on.
When young adults wear masks in public indoor spaces it communicates to me that they care about the more vulnerable in their community, and I like seeing that. For months I have let people know of the covid vaccine trials and how to volunteer if they wanted to, many had no idea that a vaccine was in the works, that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Now we are weeks away from emergency use authorization and the light is brighter. Bring on the light and a return to a more normal life.
For math fans out there even though CA has the second most cases there are only 9 states with less cases per capita cases. Almost all of the top 25 states with highest cases per capita have limited or no mask mandates. I think there is a lot of circumstantial evidences to point to their effectiveness when looking at cases that way, but I don’t think that tells the whole story. Many people are also infected at home when they wouldn’t likely be wearing a mask or while dining or drinking at the bar without a mask so even with a full mask mandate that was followed moat of the time by most people we would still have cases...less overall cases, but still spread.
