I'll confess t some confusion. On the one hand I'm told that masks are ineffective because people don't wear them properly while on the other I'm told that masks don't work and that the statistics support this assertion.
If case one is true, then case two has already been invalidated, or at the very least brought into question.
This article is a great example of why I LOVE The Free Press and subscribe .... reporting that provides CONTEXT on an issue. Thank you Dr. Prasad for providing the background information on the "Tripledemic" that the legacy media just will not do or is not interested in doing.
Okay, I admit to being confused about the efficacy of masking. I see many comments about how masking is basically useless, and yet I see studies that say the opposite. I totally understand the resistance to mandates, just want to know whether masks work or not so I can make my own informed decision. From the studies I've seen it seems clear that masking can help, done properly. (One such study linked below.)
A point that I think important to make is that whatever the efficacy of masking in reducing infections, it matters more to certain groups. In other words not so much to children, a great deal to those aged 65+ and to other vulnerable people. Even a relatively small protection for a vulnerable person can be a big deal, and the studies I've seen range from 5% to 20% reduction in infections.
Your thoughts?
--------
"Mask wearing in community settings reduces SARS-CoV-2 transmission"
Interesting. Thanks. Ironically, my first reaction was “listen to two guys talking about medical politics for more than an hour? Who has time?” I don’t. But listen I did anyway, and found the time worth it. Once.
I say that because, as entertaining as they were, they were giving opinions. Opinions which they claimed were backed by data, but I find data that contradict their opinions. Masks for toddlers? A bad idea and an easy target. Masks for adults and vulnerable people? Important and validated. I much prefer peer-reviewed published studies to anyone’s opinions.
In addition, a number of contemporary scientists have called Prasad’s writings “specious and ignorant”, containing “mistruths” and “misleading statements”, and said that they “lean heavily on pushing people’s emotional hot buttons”. In other words, not exactly someone to trust.
So, for me, back to studies and not listening to opinionators. :-) One example, below, a large-scale study on the effectiveness of masking - not on mask mandates.
Let me just take exception to the author’s first point “There is limited evidence that it exists.”
As a physician leader of a children’s hospital in California I have been tracking our respiratory surge. At its height, about 3-4 weeks ago, the number of children in our hospital was 2.5 times higher than we have ever seen. Sure, there’s been a decrease in regional pediatric beds, and staffing was a big part of the challenge, but that doesn’t explain the numbers. And numbers that were experienced by all of my colleagues around the country in their hospital.
I sometimes cry when I think about the world before the masking debate. I miss that world so much and I hate masks and any perceived benefit is so small that it is so inconsequential but people think it's the second coming. I just don't understand.
The link attached to "The best available evidence contradicts the narrative from the media and many public health officials" goes to an abstract that, yes, does say that it's not clear whether mask programs limit transmission of respiratory diseases. However, further down under "How reliable are these results?", it notes the following:
Relatively low numbers of people followed the guidance about wearing masks or about hand hygiene, which may have affected the results of the studies.
I've seen something similar in other studies that purport to contradict public health officials' support for masking: a study shows that mask requirements don't reduce spread of disease but also notes that many people in the study didn't mask and/or didn't use masks correctly or consistently.
Sure, I could see this as an argument for throwing up our hands and saying "Nobody will ever mask consistently or correctly so it's not worth bothering." But it could also be an argument that we need to figure out how to encourage people to do a better job of masking. What it certainly doesn't do is show that "masking doesn't work."
Could not agree more. I’m 88 and got COVID while traveling in Great Britain last summer. Sick and weary on and off for week. After a week I felt fine. I live in a retirement community with 800 hundred residents and staff of about 270. The administration recommends that all of us wear masks at all times while indoors in common areas. I am one of about 2-3 % who refuse. I receive many a glaring glance, but at 88 I just want to live a normal life for the short time remaining.
I'll confess t some confusion. On the one hand I'm told that masks are ineffective because people don't wear them properly while on the other I'm told that masks don't work and that the statistics support this assertion.
If case one is true, then case two has already been invalidated, or at the very least brought into question.
This article is a great example of why I LOVE The Free Press and subscribe .... reporting that provides CONTEXT on an issue. Thank you Dr. Prasad for providing the background information on the "Tripledemic" that the legacy media just will not do or is not interested in doing.
Rational and balanced regulation of public health has been replaced by fear-mongering and hysteria. I agree with Dr Prasad's call to get back to living. "Emergency talk can and will be weaponised again." https://open.substack.com/pub/davidthunder/p/emergency-talk-can-be-weaponised?r=wlowt&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Thank you Dr. Prasad. Amen. Keep telling the truth.
Strong closing statement 💥💪
email notifications muted
psychotic b0t:
https://substack.com/profile/19972950-jahbulon
the same mindlessly idiotictoxic TR0LL was previously on Taibbi's substack, maybe Greenwald's
sociopath
narcissist
Excuse me. I have worn garlic for years, and never been attacked by a vampire.
Case closed.
Okay, I admit to being confused about the efficacy of masking. I see many comments about how masking is basically useless, and yet I see studies that say the opposite. I totally understand the resistance to mandates, just want to know whether masks work or not so I can make my own informed decision. From the studies I've seen it seems clear that masking can help, done properly. (One such study linked below.)
A point that I think important to make is that whatever the efficacy of masking in reducing infections, it matters more to certain groups. In other words not so much to children, a great deal to those aged 65+ and to other vulnerable people. Even a relatively small protection for a vulnerable person can be a big deal, and the studies I've seen range from 5% to 20% reduction in infections.
Your thoughts?
--------
"Mask wearing in community settings reduces SARS-CoV-2 transmission"
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2119266119
web search: "VPZD mask"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI1KU5rsThI
Interesting. Thanks. Ironically, my first reaction was “listen to two guys talking about medical politics for more than an hour? Who has time?” I don’t. But listen I did anyway, and found the time worth it. Once.
I say that because, as entertaining as they were, they were giving opinions. Opinions which they claimed were backed by data, but I find data that contradict their opinions. Masks for toddlers? A bad idea and an easy target. Masks for adults and vulnerable people? Important and validated. I much prefer peer-reviewed published studies to anyone’s opinions.
In addition, a number of contemporary scientists have called Prasad’s writings “specious and ignorant”, containing “mistruths” and “misleading statements”, and said that they “lean heavily on pushing people’s emotional hot buttons”. In other words, not exactly someone to trust.
So, for me, back to studies and not listening to opinionators. :-) One example, below, a large-scale study on the effectiveness of masking - not on mask mandates.
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2119266119
Let me just take exception to the author’s first point “There is limited evidence that it exists.”
As a physician leader of a children’s hospital in California I have been tracking our respiratory surge. At its height, about 3-4 weeks ago, the number of children in our hospital was 2.5 times higher than we have ever seen. Sure, there’s been a decrease in regional pediatric beds, and staffing was a big part of the challenge, but that doesn’t explain the numbers. And numbers that were experienced by all of my colleagues around the country in their hospital.
Amen to that! I couldn't have said it better myself.
Wow, great post! This needed to be said.
I still see random people wearing masks. It’s strange to me. I still haven’t had Covid and I never wear a mask.
As a hospital based RN (we are still wearing masks) this is what sensible people should do with all these winter and other viruses:
STAY HOME IF POSSIBLE
KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM OTHERS
SNEEZE or COUGH INTO A TISSUE or the CROOK OF YOUR ARM
WASH YOUR HANDS, WASH YOUR HANDS AGAIN
HAVE ALCOHOL ON HAND FOR HANDS & DILUTED BLEACH FOR HOME
Your Welcome
I sometimes cry when I think about the world before the masking debate. I miss that world so much and I hate masks and any perceived benefit is so small that it is so inconsequential but people think it's the second coming. I just don't understand.
The link attached to "The best available evidence contradicts the narrative from the media and many public health officials" goes to an abstract that, yes, does say that it's not clear whether mask programs limit transmission of respiratory diseases. However, further down under "How reliable are these results?", it notes the following:
Relatively low numbers of people followed the guidance about wearing masks or about hand hygiene, which may have affected the results of the studies.
I've seen something similar in other studies that purport to contradict public health officials' support for masking: a study shows that mask requirements don't reduce spread of disease but also notes that many people in the study didn't mask and/or didn't use masks correctly or consistently.
Sure, I could see this as an argument for throwing up our hands and saying "Nobody will ever mask consistently or correctly so it's not worth bothering." But it could also be an argument that we need to figure out how to encourage people to do a better job of masking. What it certainly doesn't do is show that "masking doesn't work."
Could not agree more. I’m 88 and got COVID while traveling in Great Britain last summer. Sick and weary on and off for week. After a week I felt fine. I live in a retirement community with 800 hundred residents and staff of about 270. The administration recommends that all of us wear masks at all times while indoors in common areas. I am one of about 2-3 % who refuse. I receive many a glaring glance, but at 88 I just want to live a normal life for the short time remaining.