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Covid19 Part XVII-24,841 in ROI (1,639 deaths) 4,679 in NI (518 deaths)(28/05)Read OP
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Covid-19: face mask rules more political than scientific, says UK expert
Study reveals cloth coverings reduce airflow but Covid-19 effectiveness remains unproven
The wearing of cloth face masks by the public was becoming more about politics than science, one expert has argued, as a new study reveals potential benefits and problems of the coverings.
Now a new study by researchers at the University of Edinburgh has looked into the impact of different types of face mask on airflow ejected by a wearer when they breathed or coughed, including standard surgical masks, FFP2 respirators and cloth masks.
The researchers found all face masks without a valve, including cloth masks, reduced the distance exhaled air travelled in a forward direction by more than 90%. But they added that fit was essential, pointing out that “surgical, handmade masks, and face shields, generate significant leakage jets that have the potential to disperse virus-laden fluid particles by several metres,” and that such jets tend to be directed downwards or backwards.
But Kolstoe said there was limited evidence about how effective cloth masks were, or whether they have a big impact. The upshot was a debate that was more political than scientific.
“My feeling is that this is becoming more of a statement, a statement of solidarity. By going out and wearing a face mask you show that you are taking action, you show other people you are concerned about this, you are concerned about them, you are concerned about yourself. But perhaps conversely by not wearing a face mask that is also a statement as well,” said Kolstoe, pointing to a recent Politico article with the headline “Wearing a mask is for smug liberals. Refusing to is for reckless Republicans.”
Describing homemade face coverings, Kolstoe said: “I don’t think it does any particular harm to wear, them I don’t think it does any particular good to wear them – and as a consequence you are going to get people jumping on either side of the bandwagon. [If there was evidence showing cloth masks] make a massive difference, then we wouldn’t be having this argument.
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Supermarket staff largely evade virus in Ireland
Three big supermarket chains operating in Ireland have reported low levels of the coronavirus among staff, despite staying open throughout the pandemic.
Lidl said that, of 5,200 staff, 11 in Ireland and three in Northern Ireland had tested positive for Covid-19 — just 0.3% of its workforce on the island.
Aldi, another German supermarket chain, said 10 of its workforce of more than 4,000 had tested positive for Covid-19. Tesco, which has 13,000 staff in Ireland, declined to say how many had tested positive for the virus but said it was a “small number”.
SuperValu said it had “a very limited number of cases” across its 223 stores in Ireland.
Aldi said each of its 10 workers who had the virus had fully recovered and returned to work.
“Given the number of people we employ in Ireland — more than 13,000 — some of our colleagues will of course be affected by the virus, and a small number have tested positive for Covid-19,” said a Tesco statement.
“In these cases, our colleagues receive full sick pay from day one. All affected colleagues have recovered or are currently in recovery.”
So, as they've extinguished transfer within the community, and supermarkets were open all along, it would appear reasonably safe to wear masks going into a shop? Be it to protect yourself, or to protect others. Same amount of shoppers in supermarkets regardless of restriction phases.
On top of this, CDC now saying it's reasonably unlikely to catch virus from surfaces, and people have not been transferring it to each other in supermarkets or we would surely know about it. And if asymptomatic transmission is going on (and if the CMO is incorrect) surely hospital cases would be a lot more.
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