Could masks be another vector?

[guest584920]

Consider that when people go about their daily lives they put their hands on everything in their environment; door handles, gas pumps, counter tops, store shelves, etcetera. 

And I notice people constantly touching and readjusting their masks. Some people do it almost subconsciously.

I notice people wearing everything from flimsy & porous cloth masks, to bandanas and surgical masks. I even saw a guy with a full beard wearing an ill fitting N-95 the other day.

It stands to reason that when people constantly touch their masks they transfer germs to the mask with their dirty hands, and subsequently inhale the germs. 

The average size of a COVID-19 virus  particulate is approximately 0.125 Micron or 125 nanometers in diameter so various face coverings provide different levels of protection and some not at all.

In my opinion, masks may help, especially the immunocompromised. But they also give people a false sense of protection, and at worst, may be another vector. 

We've been masking for almost eight months and we continue to see new cases daily.

Thoughts?

[Jack Peace]

Keep telling yourself that. You are part of a Covid cult admit it. 

[Jack Peace]

On 12/11/2020 at 11:46 PM, MunoRN said:

A misinformation two-fer, nice work!

Masks are for "source control", ie they reduce the potential for people to spread the virus to others, they don't do a whole lot to protect the wearer.

Being immunosuppressed significantly increases your risk of severe bacterial infections, a normally function immune system does little to protect you from viral infections.

 

OK so our immune systems do not protect us from viruses??? OK dude , if you say so...

It makes no sense for healthy people who are asymptomatic to wear a mask in the general public. If in presence of immunocompromised patient, then yes a mask is applicable. And don't give me the already debunked conspiracy theory of "asymptomatic transmission" . People who are asymptomatic and otherwise feel completely normal are not the people who are spreading any particular disease. Are you a conspiracy theorist? 

[toomuchbaloney]

46 minutes ago, Jack Peace said:

OK so our immune systems do not protect us from viruses??? OK dude , if you say so...

It makes no sense for healthy people who are asymptomatic to wear a mask in the general public. If in presence of immunocompromised patient, then yes a mask is applicable. And don't give me the already debunked conspiracy theory of "asymptomatic transmission" . People who are asymptomatic and otherwise feel completely normal are not the people who are spreading any particular disease. Are you a conspiracy theorist? 

Misguided opinion is not equivalent to fact. Your opinions are contrary to the current scientific findings and conclusions and your credibility suffers. If you have credible supporting evidence, share it.  

Asymptomatic Transmission, the Achilles’ Heel of Current Strategies to Control Covid-19

Quote

However, despite the deployment of similar control interventions, the trajectories of the two epidemics have veered in dramatically different directions. Within 8 months, SARS was controlled after SARS-CoV-1 had infected approximately 8100 persons in limited geographic areas. Within 5 months, SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 2.6 million people and continues to spread rapidly around the world.

What explains these differences in transmission and spread? A key factor in the transmissibility of Covid-19 is the high level of SARS-CoV-2 shedding in the upper respiratory tract,1 even among presymptomatic patients, which distinguishes it from SARS-CoV-1, where replication occurs mainly in the lower respiratory tract.2 Viral loads with SARS-CoV-1, which are associated with symptom onset, peak a median of 5 days later than viral loads with SARS-CoV-2, which makes symptom-based detection of infection more effective in the case of SARS CoV-1.3 With influenza, persons with asymptomatic disease generally have lower quantitative viral loads in secretions from the upper respiratory tract than from the lower respiratory tract and a shorter duration of viral shedding than persons with symptoms,4 which decreases the risk of transmission from paucisymptomatic persons (I.e., those with few symptoms).

 

[Jack Peace]

Asymptomatic spread is a conspiracy theory. Now debunked. Masks provide no benefit for the people who are not sick. It's not that hard to understand. You are discredited if you don't understand that . Are you a conspiracy theorist?

[toomuchbaloney]

2 hours ago, Jack Peace said:

Asymptomatic spread is a conspiracy theory. Now debunked. Masks provide no benefit for the people who are not sick. It's not that hard to understand. You are discredited if you don't understand that . Are you a conspiracy theorist?

LOL

Says you...the poster with zero data or evidence to support your claims.  I'm certain that if masking is such a huge conspiracy theory that you should have no trouble finding an abundance of expert opinion and analysis which supports your assertion. In the continued absence of any evidence from you, I'm going to stick with the science rather than your opinion...all health professionals ought to favor the science over your opinion, at this point. There have been multiple links to multiple publications which explain the scientific rationale for masking during this pandemic.  Why  do you prefer to ignore the credible evidence?

I am beginning to wonder what your agenda is in these threads. 

[guest1143647]

I personally think people are catching this virus through the eyes. Yes,I do believe masks are needed,but everyone just glosses over the fact the CDC recommended goggles or a face shield to protect the eyes some months back.

The public needs to heed this. Not sure why there are no eyewear mandates

[Jack Peace]

9 hours ago, toomuchbaloney said:

LOL

Says you...the poster with zero data or evidence to support your claims.  I'm certain that if masking is such a huge conspiracy theory that you should have no trouble finding an abundance of expert opinion and analysis which supports your assertion. In the continued absence of any evidence from you, I'm going to stick with the science rather than your opinion...all health professionals ought to favor the science over your opinion, at this point. There have been multiple links to multiple publications which explain the scientific rationale for masking during this pandemic.  Why  do you prefer to ignore the credible evidence?

I am beginning to wonder what your agenda is in these threads. 

I follow science. I believe in science. My analysis is based on science. You follow "The Science". You are so well read on "The Science"...you are part of a cult. Covid cult. A liberal Covid cult that loves masking themselves and others. Does everyone remember when the lockdowns happened in March and health authorities said "we need to wear masks at all times until a vaccine is available" , now they say we need to continue to mask because we don't know if the vaccine will prevent the spread of covid-19...THIS IS DESIGNED TO NEVER END! THE MASKING AND SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS IS DESIGNED TO BE PERMANENT, DO YOU READ ME LOUD AND CLEAR!!??

[toomuchbaloney]

11 hours ago, Jack Peace said:

I follow science. I believe in science. My analysis is based on science. You follow "The Science". You are so well read on "The Science"...you are part of a cult. Covid cult. A liberal Covid cult that loves masking themselves and others. Does everyone remember when the lockdowns happened in March and health authorities said "we need to wear masks at all times until a vaccine is available" , now they say we need to continue to mask because we don't know if the vaccine will prevent the spread of covid-19...THIS IS DESIGNED TO NEVER END! THE MASKING AND SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS IS DESIGNED TO BE PERMANENT, DO YOU READ ME LOUD AND CLEAR!!??

LOL

Yeah...I read you loud and clear. It's unfortunate that your preferred "science" doesn't include any credible data or evidence, eh?

[MunoRN, RN]

13 hours ago, Jack Peace said:

OK so our immune systems do not protect us from viruses??? OK dude , if you say so...

It makes no sense for healthy people who are asymptomatic to wear a mask in the general public. If in presence of immunocompromised patient, then yes a mask is applicable. And don't give me the already debunked conspiracy theory of "asymptomatic transmission" . People who are asymptomatic and otherwise feel completely normal are not the people who are spreading any particular disease. Are you a conspiracy theorist? 

Where are you getting that asymptomatic transmission isn't a thing?  This is where some sort of reference would help your argument.

Earlier epidemiological data put the rate of asymptomatic transmission at about 40% (this was based on highly reliable viral genome tracking), although this was based on individual who never develop systems.  

Since the very first case in the US we've known that pre-symptomatic individuals can also be significant vectors, and more recent data that takes these individuals into account puts the rate of asymptomatic transmission as greater than 50% of cases, ie it's the most common way Covid is spread. 

Scientific Brief: Community Use of Cloth Masks to Control the Spread of SARS-CoV-2 | CDC

Again, general use masks protect others from the virus being transmitted to them by the wearer (source control), it's not to protect you. 

I don't know why you keep insisting that only immunocompromised individuals are susceptible to morbidity and mortality resulting from a Covid infection.  It certainly doesn't help to be immunocompromised, but the number of Covid deaths that occur in individuals with some degree of immunocompromised is reported as being between 10 and 15%, again, this is where a reference to support your claims would be helpful.

[SansNom]

9 hours ago, Jack Peace said:

I follow science. I believe in science. My analysis is based on science. You follow "The Science". You are so well read on "The Science"...you are part of a cult. Covid cult. A liberal Covid cult that loves masking themselves and others. Does everyone remember when the lockdowns happened in March and health authorities said "we need to wear masks at all times until a vaccine is available" , now they say we need to continue to mask because we don't know if the vaccine will prevent the spread of covid-19...THIS IS DESIGNED TO NEVER END! THE MASKING AND SOCIAL AWKWARDNESS IS DESIGNED TO BE PERMANENT, DO YOU READ ME LOUD AND CLEAR!!??

Jack, come on already, just provide some evidence to back up your opinion. It's just funny to me that you sit here and communicate on a device developed by similar scientific methods as the ones we are discussing, and then deny that same science and try to say "just trust me, I've read some stuff and I know what I'm talking about, I don't need sources". Suuuuuuurrrrreeee buddy.

If you can't understand why the message on masks (and many other things) has changed as our understanding of the virus and needs have changed, you probably need to get out of the medical field (if you are actually in it to begin with).

[Jack Peace]

I need to get out of the medical field? Why are you threatening me? That is unprofessional.

 

https://www.pscp.tv/w/cqoPBzFheWpWYll2TU5ianB8MWdxeHZvUHlnRU9LQg0YEmDs_DOpMvo1wtPIlaHI90DTxqWegrm2TKOBNQF1?s=09

[GrumpyRN, NP]

1 hour ago, Jack Peace said:

I need to get out of the medical field? Why are you threatening me? That is unprofessional.

 

https://www.pscp.tv/w/cqoPBzFheWpWYll2TU5ianB8MWdxeHZvUHlnRU9LQg0YEmDs_DOpMvo1wtPIlaHI90DTxqWegrm2TKOBNQF1?s=09

??????

So your "proof" is someone who is using Babylon Bee as a source. Are you being intentionally ironic? 

"The Babylon Bee is a conservative Christian news satire website that publishes satirical articles on religion, politics, current events, and well-known public figures. With intentional irony, the site describes itself as "the world’s best satire site, totally inerrant in all its truth claims."" (My Bold and italics)

I tried to watch your link. Sorry but I can only stand so much stupid per day and that took me over my limits for the week.

 

Curious as to why you think someone advising you to actually learn stuff is a threat.