To Mask or not to two - Mask Megathread cont.

Why ?

Your statement here says it all....

They're a hateful burden, and I don't care about any science or statistics around them.

It is a combination of hyperbole and ignorance of the facts. Just because you dont care about the facts, thankfully the vast majority do and will follow public health guidance when asked.

I think that masks, restrictions and Tony Holohan are all fantastic .

Its proof of no such thing... as explained below.

One of studies cited showed there was no benefit if staff in a hospital wore a reusable cloth mask as PPE versus flu.

We knew that already. How is that relevant to covid mask mandates?

One of the other studies showed regular mask wearers in Denmark had fewer cases than non mask wearers but due to low level of covid significant case numbers were not hit in the study.

The advice from health authorities was always not to rely on such masks as PPE.

That does mean they dont help to reduce transmission from an infected person.

https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/p/do-masks-work

If you are getting a bus everyday your number will eventually come up.

Different odds if you have vulnerable people needing to access essential services occassionally during a breakout.

And measures like masks and distancing improve those odds.

Effectively useless?

Or very limited effect?

In the same post you cant even keep your story straight and resort to strawman argument to have to make your case.

Rather important everybodys number didnt come up at the same time. And bought time to rollout vaccines etc

So nope. No point proven.

The study John Campbell refers to is flawed

Here's some interesting reads on that study that he refers to

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2023/2/22/23609499/masks-covid-coronavirus-cochrane-review-pandemic-science-studies-infection

And you feel qualified to state that like its a fact, yes?

No. Mask mandates were never about direct protection of the wearer by non respirator masks. It was always stressed you should not rely on them as PPE. This has been pointed out dozens of time on the threads from the when mandates were first brought in here.

For much of the pandemic there was a shortage of respirator type masks and priority for them was as PPE for health care workers.

Mask mandates were about limiting droplets FROM an infected person. Masks as barriers not PPE.

:D :D :D :D !! John Campbell!!! again not a reliable source for anything but misinformation and misinterpretation.

Why not take a look at the flaws in the Cochran report while you are at it

https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/i/101670953/then-the-cochrane-review-was-published-and-took-social-media-by-storm

And other experts in the field have produced the study.

Thanks and yes I do know that it is a meta study or a compilation if you like.

But IMO we're really back to the same old argument. If an iron clad mask benefit could be derived from studies then this would have happened. But we're still in the same ballpark, may have, may not have. The case for masks just was never strong enough IMO for the pro-mask fraction to claim 'masks work, case closed'. We've seen it from the start when it went 'masks won't work' then 'masks work'. It was never like 'seatbelts work' or 'not smoking helps' or anything like such a case closed thing, not even remotely.

One way or the other thats still the same thing I'm getting from this. And considering such weak evidence it never justified the boohaa that was made about them. Never mind mandates.

I disagree tbh. There was a very strong political element to the mandate and then to the debate about them too. And like it is every time when politics gets involved things get murky and dogmatic. Before we knew it people who questioned were branded selfish and deniers and Trumpists and off we went. Which was a hallmark of all things covid. You either followed unquestionably or you were one of them arseholes, very polarised in no time.