Somebody trying to tell me masks don’t work and they say they’ve seen studies blah blah . I’m pretty sure they’re wrong but what’s the best most convincing evidence to change somebody’s mind?

    • its [it/its]
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      edit-2
      2 years ago

      This isn't correct. Viruses don't float freely in the air, they're attached to particles (water droplets in this case) of varying size. Furthermore, even if they were somehow individually present brownian motion captures most particles smaller than 0.3nm. Also, N95 masks use an electrostatic layer for added protection. There's even n95 surgical masks. Masks do have to be worn correctly to achieve proper filtration but there have been numerous studies confirming the stated efficacy of the n95 standard for particles of various sizes.

      https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304389421017507#tbl0005

      https://groups.oist.jp/nnp/diy-face-mask

      https://web.archive.org/web/20230214144841/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/06/11/fact-check-n-95-filters-not-too-large-stop-covid-19-particles/5343537002/

      • xXthrowawayXx [none/use name]
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        2 years ago

        i think you meant um instead of nm for brownian motion also brownian motion isn't at play in flow, so it doesn't apply to the movement of particles through a filter. there is no electrostatic layer specified by the n95 standard, it's just a cheap way to get away with looser weaves and still pass the spec. there are no procedure masks that meet the n95 standard (idk what you mean by n95 surgical masks).

        there are viruses that either form a spore or otherwise can float freely in air and due to some either bad reporting or scaremongering we had a few months back in '21 where people believed covid-19 was one of em. afaik its not but i didn't wanna make an already long post even longer and that's a bear to write on mobile.

        i'm with you that masks slow down the process of getting infected with covid. this last few years have tested our literacy in a crazy way.

    • mittens [he/him]
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      2 years ago

      So yeah, “masks” don’t “work”, but they’re better than nothing and are effective in reducing the rate of transmission.

      Essentially this, how this simple message got all jumbled up is beyond me.

      • keepcarrot [she/her]
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        2 years ago

        Obviously a difference a language. Semantics. Bleh

        When I say masks work, I mean that they reduce spread by enough that it's worth bothering with them.

        When they say masks don't work, they mean that they don't necessarily work in 100% of all situations, therefore they shouldn't bother with them.

        • JuneFall [none/use name]
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          edit-2
          2 years ago

          Okay, so when a person says masks they’re either talking about n95 style masks or procedure masks. N95 style masks have a rigid shape, are tighter fitting and actually have a standard applied to them, procedure masks are looser fitting, have a kinda flimsy cloth construction and don’t really have a set standard.

          Its like the steel cap shoes I wore to work, they certainly invite my foot being crushed when stuff doesn't fall onto my toes and invites penetration by nails at my joints, though in practice those hurt vectors are rare. I won't do storage work without that protection.

    • infuziSporg [e/em/eir]
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      edit-2
      2 years ago

      Even out on the sidewalk

      Unless you are in a dense city with streets less than 10m wide from building to building, AND there is lots of foot traffic, AND there is no wind or sun, you don't need to worry about wearing a mask outdoors. It's mostly the shared/public indoor spaces that are important to wear masks in.

      Maddeningly, the places where you have the greatest need to mask up are the places with the lowest oxygen content.