Mastodawn

*_jߍyrope Mar 30

@David McMullin I totally lost it on this one. What are the current Covid statistics in the US looking like, especially in comparison with april 2020 or slightly later?

David McMullin Mar 30

@jrp
I used to follow the data and statistics closely but I don’t anymore, because even when the level of COVID transmission is relatively low, it’s not low enough for me to go around unprotected then come home to care for immunocompromised family members. Just in my own life I know multiple people who catch it more than once a year, and several times since the pandemic “ended.” That’s enough reason for me to keep wearing the mask.

David McMullin Mar 30

@jrp
Each time you get COVID, maybe nothing bad happens, and maybe you get permanent disabling fatigue or a heart attack or brain damage. The more times you roll the dice, the more the chance of a bad outcome. If I’m wrong, I will have worn a mask and been thought a weirdo for nothing. (That’s what I hope!) But if I’m right, 25 years from now I could be one of the only healthy people of my generation still around.

Tim M

@mcmullin @jrp I thought I remembered (and please correct me if I'm wrong) that the studies of 2021/22 etc showed that masking protects others from being infected by the mask wearer (if the wearer is in the early infectious stages of an infection) but confers very little protection on the wearer themselves in the presence of another who is infected, and for that reason I still rely more on distancing and fresh air as they work to protect me too

Marten Mar 31

@schmerg @mcmullin @jrp those studies usually focussed on surgical masks. These days most covid-conscious people tend to be talking about masking with respirators (N95, FFP2, etc) which - once you find a model that conforms to your face without leakage - are able to filter the air. Also great for going out into nature with hayfever, or trapping dust from DIY projects!

@schmerg @jrp

That’s an important question. I don’t have the latest studies at my fingertips, so I welcome confirmation or correction from someone who does. But my understanding, which I believe is supported by the current scientific consensus, is this:

• No prevention or mitigation strategy is 100% effective. You could do everything right and still get sick.

• That’s not a reason to give up. The less sick you get, and the fewer times, the better.

Masks work. Well fitted N95s or equivalent work pretty well; surgical masks don’t work as well; something made from an old t-shirt doesn’t do much. But any filter or barrier is better than nothing.

If 2 people are in a room and one is infectious, the best protection is if both wear N95s. Next best is if the infected person does. But you can’t trust people to do that or to know when they’re infectious, so the best thing for •you• is to have one on your own face, regardless.

Ventilation and air filtration also work. In the scenario above, they should have a HEPA filter running or a Corsi-Rosenthal box, and they should open the window.

Vaccines work too, but mostly to prevent hospitalization and death in the acute phase, not as much to prevent infection.

“Social distancing” in the sense of staying 6-feet / 2m away will help keep you from getting sneezed on, but that’s not mainly how COVID is transmitted. You just have to breathe the same air.

The absolute best protection in the two-people-in-a-room scenario is not to be one of the people in the room. So avoid being in close quarters with anyone who might be infected—which basically means anyone at all. Especially indoors, but outdoors too if the air is still or if there are a lot of people.

It won’t be possible for everyone to do all of this perfectly all the time. But every little bit of prevention at the margins helps, so do the best you can in your situation.