06/21/2020
Stay Safe! There are a lot of rumors and anxiety out there about wearing masks. Find the answers you need in the research below!
This post from Baylor epidemiologist helps us sort through the myths about masks. They work (they mostly protect others from being infected by you). They are safe (surgeons wear them for hours at a time without negative health effects). Cloth masks are recommended by multiple federal (CDC, FDA, and yes, OSHA), state, and local public health authorities.
𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇-𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒
There are lots and lots of questions about masks right now. There's also a lot of social media postings citing research about masks - but using the data incorrectly or citing studies (even studies published in peer-reviewed and credible journals like NEJM or the Lancet) that is from March or April. We now know MUCH more about the importance of masks.
(Tip: If you come across an article, check the date).
𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒊𝒇𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒖𝒑-𝒕𝒐-𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄 𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆/𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒂. This is a longer-than-normal post. But I thought it would helpful for people to have a one-stop-shop of the data. Keep in mind that physical distancing is linked with all masks data below. So we need to do both. When I say "masks" below, this means "means plus distancing".
*****This assumes people wear and disinfect masks correctly - I'll post on that later.*****
🚩𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇 𝟏: 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊
𝑭𝑨𝑪𝑻: 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆.
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝟏: 85% reduction in transmission.
The LARGEST review of legit data so far (commissioned by the WHO) was published in the Lancet (the premier peer-reviewed medical journal). They collected 172 studies on over 25,000 people (as an epidemiologist, this is a lot of people and studies = legit findings).
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31142-9/fulltext?fbclid=IwAR3iBLcv6BRCrkx8r2UO8nT5T5Aw20ox3V9FcOqP4U_pChimEeqZOkTp_1g
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝟐 (𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐍𝐄𝐉𝐌-𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥): Wearing a simple cloth mask blocks emission of droplets, including those which become airborne and linger in the air.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2007800 with video
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝟑: A study in 15 states plus DC found that mandating masks resulted in reducing cases by 230,000–450,000 people.
https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00818?fbclid=IwAR2qW6Fjo434V472iDel0wyC0oxIYUqU7-Y8qFjj0bAkEkTA6n6D9h5wU84
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝟒: Airborne transmission is the dominant route. Masks reduced infections by 78,000 in Italy and 66,000 in NYC.
https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/06/10/2009637117
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝟒 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧: Look at Figure 3. Mandating masks made the LARGEST difference in lowering transmission.
https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/06/10/2009637117
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝟒 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧: The curve peak is dramatically flattened, delayed, and subsequent waves are prevented (look at Figures 5c and 7a)
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝟓: Masks STRONGLY protect the vulnerable around us.
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspa.2020.0376
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝟔: Masks used earlier in the "curve" show the greatest benefit. 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 (opposed to reactive masking) makes the biggest difference.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32355904/
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝟕: Countries with stronger usage of masks experience really low numbers of cases and deaths.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01248-1
and
https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laninf/PIIS1473-3099(20)30120-1.pdf
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝟖-𝟏𝟒: Masks are a significant primary defense with COVID due to asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic persons. In other words, masks help protect the vulnerable before we know we are sick. "We know that a significant portion of individuals can transmit the virus to other prior to showing symptoms". Studies found at the bottom of this website page:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html
🚩𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇 𝟐: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐍 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋, 𝐂𝐃𝐂, 𝐃𝐑. 𝐅𝐀𝐔𝐂𝐈, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊
𝑭𝑨𝑪𝑻: 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒄 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒕-𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒔. 𝑨𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔!
The surgeon general said that at the very beginning of this pandemic when everyone was buying masks like toilet paper and creating shortages. He now advocates for masks.
https://www.npr.org/…/why-there-so-many-different-guideline…
And, he shows you how to make your own:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPx1yqvJgf4
The WHO and CDC initially said to not wear a mask if you're healthy - again because there was a SHORTAGE of masks globally.
Now the CDC and WHO advocate for it:
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html
WHO: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks
and
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/who-fabric-masks-covid-spread/507-4947fe32-b64e-42ab-85b5-7d2d6875dab4?fbclid=IwAR3A2XbBj0Cgav5sS6g98cV6bF7BjL_1WB3ebd0nra###_j_o61vvdl-heQ
🚩𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇 𝟑: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐁𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐁𝐘 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇𝐘 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄
𝑭𝒂𝒄𝒕: 𝑺𝒆𝒆 𝑴𝒚𝒕𝒉 2 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒗𝒆.
The WHO initially said to not wear a mask if you're healthy - again because there was a SHORTAGE of masks globally. Now the WHO advocates for it: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks
and
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/who-fabric-masks-covid-spread/507-4947fe32-b64e-42ab-85b5-7d2d6875dab4?fbclid=IwAR3A2XbBj0Cgav5sS6g98cV6bF7BjL_1WB3ebd0nra###_j_o61vvdl-heQ
🚩𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇 𝟒: 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐌 𝐔𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐎𝟐 or O2
𝑭𝑨𝑪𝑻: 𝑰𝒏 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝑵95 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒌 - 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒌.
"Carbon dioxide molecules are tiny - far smaller than droplets containing coronavirus which the masks are designed to stop - and won't be trapped by a breathable material...When you breathe out, the carbon dioxide will go through and round the mask...Surgeons regularly wear much heavier-duty face coverings all day without coming to harm."
https://www.bbc.com/news/53108405
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝟏: Harmful CO2 increased with N95 masks after 12 HOURS of use - but not with cloth masks.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2764955
𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝟐: CO2 increases when surgical masks are worn over N95s - but not with cloth masks.
https://academic.oup.com/annweh/article/57/3/384/230992
🚩𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇 𝟓 𝐎𝐒𝐇𝐀 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒 𝐃𝐎 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐔𝐒 (𝐡𝐭𝐭𝐩𝐬://𝐝𝐢𝐫.𝐜𝐚.𝐠𝐨𝐯/𝐝𝐨𝐬𝐡/𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐮𝐬/𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃-𝟏𝟗-𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐢𝐧-𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬.𝐩𝐝𝐟)
𝑭𝑨𝑪𝑻: 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑴𝒂𝒚 13 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆. 𝑰𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒖𝒑𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒔.
https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/coronavirus/Health-Care-General-Industry.html
Here's the updated US OSHA recommendations for wearing masks:
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/covid-19-faq.html
🚩𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇 𝟔: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐃𝐀 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃 "𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝟗𝟓 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡"
𝑭𝑨𝑪𝑻: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝑫𝑨 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝑵95'𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑳𝑬𝑻𝑬𝑳𝒀 𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌.
Did you see the sneaky part of that myth? I saw this myth on a website advocating for not wearing a mask - but they misquoted the FDA (even though they used quotation marks). The website said "Even a properly fitted N95 mask does not PREVENT illness or death". But the FDA says this, "However, even a properly fitted N95 respirator does not COMPLETELY ELIMINATE the risk of illness or death". Words matter. N95s are not perfect but they are really good - and this should not discredit mask wearing. https://web.archive.org/web/20200516235249/https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/personal-protective-equipment-infection-control/n95-respirators-and-surgical-masks-face-masks
🚩𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇 𝟕: 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒/𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒
𝑭𝒂𝒄𝒕: 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒆. 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒆'𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈-𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒔.
https://www.hsdc.org/accessible-deaf-friendly-face-mask/
https://safenclear.com/
https://wsbt.com/news/local/doctor-creates-special-face-masks-to-help-those-with-hearing-loss
🚩𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇 𝟖: 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐁𝐄 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐁𝐘 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄
𝑭𝑨𝑪𝑻: 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓.
Masks should be worn when you are out and about among people. This one is common sense and has lots of caveats to discuss in another post.
Masks should not be worn if you have COPD, if you are working out, or for children under the age of 2.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html
If wearing a masks causes panic attacks or breathing issues, here's a good article for advice.
https://news.yahoo.com/cant-wear-face-mask-204712737.html
🚩𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇 𝟗: 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐎𝐌 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐄𝐂𝐇
𝑭𝑨𝑪𝑻: 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒌.
If this is a worry, the masks with the see-through section is helpful. Then you can easily see someone's mouth when they are talking.
🚩𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇 𝟏𝟎: 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐄 𝐒𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐌
𝑭𝑨𝑪𝑻: 𝑶𝒖𝒓 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒐 𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆.
Building our immune systems up involves sleep, food and nutrition, vitamin D, stress reduction, getting outside...
So, all things we can easily do during this pandemic time.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention
🚩𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇 𝟏𝟏: 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐊𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐎𝐑 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑
𝑭𝑨𝑪𝑻: "𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒖𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓, 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅" - 2 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒚 1:7
Yes, that is true. But God has also called us to self-less love for others.
This one is harder to talk about since masks have become statements. But the science of mask-wearing clearly shows masks can be one of our strongest symbols of love for one another. Yes, we have freedom to choose.
But, we are more importantly called to serve.
𝑺𝒐, 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 - 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓.
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫.
https://www.facebook.com/friendlyneighborepidemiologist/posts/147769306845727?__tn__=K-R
-Your friendly neighbor epidemiologist
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