It's almost fashionable to complain about wearing a mask. But the fact is, I haven't had a singe instance of cold or flu symptoms since Covid appeared and I started wearing a mask in public places. That is unprecendented.
If I had previously known this would be the case, I would have started wearing one much earlier.
If I had previously known this would be the case, I would have started wearing one much earlier.
Same here. This is the longest stretch of my life without a cold or flu.
You mostly want to wear a NF95 not to make the virus travel and evoluate. And more important: to still protect the aged people whom not may have another chance to live if catching it.
People are in the deny and think all is ok now and eventually may kill their own old familly people by following the no mask easyness. Most people became as stupid as a teen blonde imho. Covid is still more dangerous than flue. Of course a flue can kill too a fragile people. But people want to mimic their stupid neighboors.
Edit. Sorry if against forum rules. Evident ethic rule must be said if not well understood. Some rules are morenusefull than others when health is involved.
People are in the deny and think all is ok now and eventually may kill their own old familly people by following the no mask easyness. Most people became as stupid as a teen blonde imho. Covid is still more dangerous than flue. Of course a flue can kill too a fragile people. But people want to mimic their stupid neighboors.
Edit. Sorry if against forum rules. Evident ethic rule must be said if not well understood. Some rules are morenusefull than others when health is involved.
Same, I used to getting sick a few times a year from some cold or virus. Was worse when the girls were little and brought home all kinds of germs.
I've still been sick since Covid started, but much less then before.
Wonder if its just from masking? I'm sure that helps, but I also use hand sanitizer pretty much whenever I return to my car from a store. Almost never used it before.
And I try to maintain some distance from people, no close talking these days.
Randy
I've still been sick since Covid started, but much less then before.
Wonder if its just from masking? I'm sure that helps, but I also use hand sanitizer pretty much whenever I return to my car from a store. Almost never used it before.
And I try to maintain some distance from people, no close talking these days.
Randy
A challenge to this - have you ever been as old as you are now?
If the answer is no, then we know we don't have a control case, in which case we must be cautious when attempting to draw any conclusions.
As you get older, you accumulate immunity to more things. It's perfectly possible to go through a period of reduced pathogen affliction.
I've only worn a mask once, at a friend's funeral, and that was for about 40 seconds because I cried all over it. I'm not vaccinated for sars-cov-2 (not that I'm an anti-vaxxer, I've had loads of vaccines). I've hardly been ill over the last couple of years. Do I conclude from this that not wearing a mask and not getting vaccinated are a positive? Personally I think that would be a bit of a leap, I'd rather base any conclusions on large-scale data and RCTs etc.
My view:
- cloth masks don't work in real world situations, for bacteria or viruses
- n95 don't work against viruses or bacteria in the real world, but fresh and properly worn n95 could maybe help reduce bacterial pneumonia in clinical settings, which is important because this can often be the killer in hospitals / care homes
- for masks to be effective against viruses, you need a respirator style mask - I believe a filter fine enough to filter viruses (n99 and up) requires a hermetic seal and forced air else it's too hard to breathe through over long periods
This is my personal belief so I hope it doesn't rile anyone. This is based on reading in the region of 50 - 150 studies / papers on this or related subjects. My understanding of the current evidence is that it is inconclusive, so I'm not for a second trying to argue that this reading has given me more insight than anyone else. After all this reading, I have never seen one single honest scientist who has claimed the science on this is settled.
Designing an RCT on this would not be easy. The control group would have to be given highly porous masks that we know couldn't have a positive effect effect, but that look believable.
Personally I don't think there has been any real difference. I'd need to see evidence in order to be convinced this is more than anecdote. We're not seeing drops in absence rates for illness at work, for example.
Do you have a reference for this? For people 0-59 years of age, the IFR for SARS-CoV-2 is estimated at 0.035%. Personally I believe the IFR for many flu viruses is higher than this. I'd be interested to read more on any evidence to the contrary. I appreciate this is all fairly finger in the air, since we haven't described which strain of SARS / Influenza viruses we're talking about [ref: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.11.22280963v1]
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Actually as you get older, your immune system declines. This is why we have "High Dose" shots for people over 65 in the USA.
https://www.nia.nih.gov/
https://www.nia.nih.gov/
Indeed, but the two things we've claimed are not mutually exclusive. It is perfectly possible to accrue some immunity to an array of pathogens following exposure, while simultaneously being less good at fighting off brand new ones due to a declining immune system.
Babies have very good immune systems for example, but the naivety of said immune systems to certain pathogens means they are still at high risk. I believe most influenza A viruses are going to be more dangerous for a baby than current sars-cov-2 strains, based on what I've read.
Sure.
And you also wear a mask to protect others. We just have less solidarity than some more evoluted nation on that particular fact like Japan or Singapor imo.
BTW, about the properly weared N95, it is a change giver, as it is mainly aerosol transmission with increased transmission of new variants. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/02/04/covid-mask-effective-n95/ And yes in my country, we monitors hospitals dies and covid when you are old is way more dangerous than flue, still, despite the new variants are less aggressive, they are agressive enough for an old people. Better chance to survive is also faced to more contamination and spread with the mutations. So it is still dangerous and it's like playing with dices than exposing those people without protection. 90% protection is still better than zero protection.
And you also wear a mask to protect others. We just have less solidarity than some more evoluted nation on that particular fact like Japan or Singapor imo.
BTW, about the properly weared N95, it is a change giver, as it is mainly aerosol transmission with increased transmission of new variants. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/02/04/covid-mask-effective-n95/ And yes in my country, we monitors hospitals dies and covid when you are old is way more dangerous than flue, still, despite the new variants are less aggressive, they are agressive enough for an old people. Better chance to survive is also faced to more contamination and spread with the mutations. So it is still dangerous and it's like playing with dices than exposing those people without protection. 90% protection is still better than zero protection.
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Yep I agree that aerosol transmission is the likely the main vector, rather than direct droplet or fomite spread.
Not sure if this was a response to me - I don't wear a mask because I don't believe they work 🙂 Just a personal view of course, I very much respect if people choose to.
I am not in the believement nore I hide myself behind my doubt. I believe science and not rumors or plots. If I can help by being not a transmission factor when I see people say older than 60/65 yo to avoid them problems, I live better like that. It is hard when you have children of course. But some are so stupid they send their children to visit grand Pa without testing themselves or wear a mask. After 2 years they still do not understand they can spread without any symptom and can kill someone. Not catched, perfect crime ! Yes it was a response to you. I sea deads around me (and even a young btw) because of people believing people like you introducing doubts.
Btw this is discussion is against the forum rules and seing your arrival date here I have doubts about how serious you are whatever you claim.
I ask modes to delete th ethread, thiis question is too much important to spread things like N95 masks do not work at all !
Btw this is discussion is against the forum rules and seing your arrival date here I have doubts about how serious you are whatever you claim.
I ask modes to delete th ethread, thiis question is too much important to spread things like N95 masks do not work at all !
And my doc of 30+ years (now retired) isn't vaxed (doesn't trust these ones) but wears a mask everywhere.
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This is sounding rather conspiratorial hehe 😉
I fully welcome robust arguments against what I'm saying, but questioning my motives is rather unfair. I have been on this forum for around a decade. I had a very similar name before and I lost my login/password.
I find it funny that masks - something that in my mind should be a not-particularly-emotive, mostly-scientific topic - have become political to the point where people want to self police and ban themselves from talking about the subject. I'd like to think we can all keep it civilised!
What has absolutely blown my mind during this pandemic is that we had to teach proper hand washing technique ... to adults.
Tom
Tom
That's a but stiff. This isn't a scientific study. I am perfectly happy continuing to wear a mask based on my observation. I'll let you know next time I get a cold or flu.
I'm 69, and have watched "the masses" going through this (to me) utterly silly pandemic situation.
The only time I wore those common blue masks is in stores, I ripped them right off my face upon leaving.
I only did it to appease the mandate crap.
And through these past 2+ years, I'm FINE.
Living proof.
I trust my own natural "built-in" immune system to do its job over anything else - and no, I didn't succumb to those vaccine shots. To hell with that, I'm not going to ride the merry-go-round of dependency that others have fallen for.
Like the masses who get those dumb flu shots, who then suffer getting sick afterwords anyway, I don't want to be part of that corporate mess.
That's their choice, not mine.
EDIT Oh, and by the way..... some of my friends, older ones, have not taken the "jab" either, and guess what?.... they TOO are fine through all this bizarre situation.
I've never gotten the flu either, maybe an occasional cold, no big deal.
That's my story and I'm sticking with it.
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Oh I'm not saying you shouldn't draw whatever conclusion you want in order to influence your own choices, sorry if it came across that way. I'm just suggesting that if we were to extrapolate to the wider population, we'd want to approach it with additional rigour.
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Tom, you would be appalled by the lack of sanitary matters in US banks among both male and female employees. (Gals will elevate themselves on the seat and pee all over the place, san napkins just thrown on the floor)
WRT masks, when I was an airplane seat tester for an investment bank I would frequently go to Tokyo. Everyone on the subways wore a mask,
Will be an interesting winter -- anecdotal reports suggest a lot more folk getting flu vax. Prior year had lower experience due to mask-wearing and more cautious behavior.
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