...and everyone is wrong. This was originally in the WSJ, a source I respect. So the masks that people usually wear, or are required to wear, are only marginally better than nothing at all. Other types of masks do better, sometimes much better.
I know that many of my readers would prefer that I say "No, masks are worthless and requiring them is Soviet Union stuff." (No, I am not exaggerating.) But I like data and people who are trying to find out the real answers to things. I get the idea "Therefore, requiring people to wear those useless things is an unfair limitation on freedom, and just stupid to boot." Fine. But it so often leads to blanket rejection of all masks, and all limitations, often in high dudgeon*, that I prefer to draw the line at using any kind of mask and hope to move up from there.
*Is there low dudgeon? Apparently not.
Well, guess I should dig out the KN95’s then. We already ditched cloth at the beginning of Omicron.
ReplyDeleteFor myself, who now has enormous immunity and is only worried about the example I set, I will go to no mask or cosmetic mask in most situations, and serious mask when in air-sharing contact. Except I have to get one of those.
ReplyDeleteThat link rendered so poorly, I couldn't read much of it.
ReplyDeleteI tried the n95 masks first and simply couldn't handle them. I'm sure it was more psychological than not actually getting enough air. I do okay with surgical masks.
It's a no-brainer to use N95s around vulnerable people.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, and I don't mean this as some kind of gotcha, I notice that the people and institutions who insist that I wear a mask generally don't care what kind of mask I wear. There's a hospital I've visited several times during Covid, and they tell me to wear their crappy mask even though I'm already wearing a superior mask. I put their crappy mask over my better mask and everyone is happy.
That is perfect.
ReplyDelete