Comment by azangru
4 days ago
> Rationalists came to correct views about the COVID-19 pandemic while many others were saying masks didn’t work
I wonder what views about covid-19 are correct. On masks, I remember the mainstream messaging went through the stages that were masks don't work, some masks work, all masks work, double masking works, to finally masks don't work (or some masks work; I can't remember where we ended up).
> to finally masks don't work (or some masks work; I can't remember where we ended up).
Most masks 'work', for some value of 'work', but efficacy differs (which, to be clear, was ~always known; there was a very short period when some authorities insisted that covid was primarily transmitted by touch, but you're talking weeks at most). In particular I think what confused people was that the standard blue surgical masks are somewhat effective at stopping an infected person from passing on covid (and various other things), but not hugely effective at preventing the wearer from contracting covid; for that you want something along the lines of an n95 respirator.
The main actual point of controversy was whether it was airborne or not (vs just short-range spread by droplets); the answer, in the end, was 'yes', but it took longer than it should have to get there.
> In particular I think what confused people was that the standard blue surgical masks are somewhat effective at stopping an infected person from passing on covid (and various other things), but not hugely effective at preventing the wearer from contracting covid
Yes, exactly.
If we look at guidelines about influenza, we will see them say that "surgical masks are not considered adequate respiratory protection for airborne transmission of pandemic influenza". And as far as I understand, it was finally agreed that in terms of transmission, Sars CoV-2 behaves similarly to the influenza virus.
And any protection is better than no protection, even if it only reduces your chance by 30% or whatever - it's unlikely to make things worse.
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Putting just about anything in front of your face will help prevent spreading illness to some extent, this is why we teach children to "vampire cough". Masks were always effective to some degree. The CDC lied to the public by initially telling them not to use masks because they wanted to keep the supply for healthcare workers and they were afraid that the pubic would buy them all up first. It was a very very stupid thing to do and it undermined people's trust in the CDC and confused people about masks. After that masks became politicized and the whole topic became a minefield.
Basic masks work for society because they stop your saliva from traveling but they don't work for you because they don't stop particles from other people saliva from reaching you