Thank you, but I'm not an expert, in fact, the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. I do track infectious diseases for a living, and track their related diagnosis and treatments, look for patterns and trends. The mistake i see a lot of people making is that they are looking for absolutes, and there are very few absolutes in science, because it's always changing.
I do know that masks work at curving the spread of disease, covid or otherwise. Lets look at flu cases briefly, 5 year trend, because we have a lot of data on that already. There's between 30-70 million US cases of flu a year, and between 30-70k deaths. That's a mortality rate of ~0.1%, vaguely. But if we look at the 2020 chart, we basically killed the flu. Sure, there are some undiagnosed cases due to people not going to the doctor as much. But from 30-70 million to virtually nothing?
okay, I shouldn't but... I never learn.
there is no doubt that the cases are down and the flu is pretty much non existent.
these are facts, yes.
many attribute that to mask wearing. so, there are multiple types of N95, some are vented some are not. so a virus could move out but be restricted on inhalation... or not.
the material is N95 not the mask.
now, lets talk about fit. When I used to wear a respirator -N95 cartridges - I was fitted every year. Not all over the counter N95s are sized and the paper ones I used to wear did not stop things as well as the cartridge types. More over, how many people wear them correctly. I have seen several that did not know how to fit the nose piece. many more that cut the straps so they did not fit the face correctly. even more that didn't try to form the mask to their faces at all.
In a clinical setting with trained users, yes they can be effective. in the real world... Not so much. Also, most people never wore N95 masks. (and I do argue this point with a clinition.)
I think there are some major errors in the study... just sayin'
Now, the government also shut down all the schools, restaurants, businesses, churches, ball games, much of the transportation systems and other things that kept people away from each other. Let's not forget the massive hygiene campaigns and mandates.
I remember years back there was a study in Iceland. it seemed they had very little flu type illnesses after tourist season was over and they became isolated again.
so, should people wear masks... doubt it hurts. Are masks the reason things are getting better... I doubt they hurt. Is it all of the above things that we did and a nation... most likely.
what we should learn but, I doubt we will: practice good hygiene and be courteous to all.
thanks. rant over.