New Catallaxy

Mater’s Musings #4: The evidence is in…they do stop Alcohol!

Reference: Australian Health Management Plan for Influenza – 2019, p 123 & 124

I note that there is NOT an IC4 recommending ‘Mask wearing by asymptomatic individuals or the entire population’.

Both snippets might explain why such a move was never documented, but perhaps they focused on these little gems:

Although work-related influenza infection is well document (e.g. Kuster et al.), very few studies have been undertaken about the effectiveness of PPE in reducing infection. Many of the studies that have been conducted suffer from poor compliance or lack the power to detect an effect.

Whether surgical masks or respirators should be recommended for routine patient care in healthcare settings, and for general use in the community is not clear, given the lack of evidence supporting one type of mask over the other and uncertainties about the predominant modes of influenza transmission.

Risks: Inappropriate use of PPE may reduce effectiveness. Education on appropriate use of masks would be required to ensure that there are no unintended negative effects of mask wearing, such as decreased compliance with social distancing measures (self-isolation) because people feel protected, or increased indirect transmission through constant touching and adjusting of wet masks.

The same people who wrote this in 2019, are likely still floating around the various Government Departments. Where are they? What changed?

But, hey, let’s not deny the science.

Mater

4 responses to “Mater’s Musings #4: The evidence is in…they do stop Alcohol!”

  1. Bruce of Newcastle Avatar
    Bruce of Newcastle

    There was a good review of the inefficiency of masks some days ago:

    Do Masks Work? A Review Of The Evidence (15 Aug)

    In short: nope, or so minimally protective that it’s just about impossible to quantify. Which is just as I’ve been saying all along: the Covid virus is so small it will go through a mask like mosquitoes through chicken wire. Which Fauci privately told the CDC in Feb last year, as we saw in the recently FOIed email.

    But the white coat class seem to have this urgent need to be seen to be doing something, and masks are mysteriously sciency. Magic amulets would be about as effective, and a lot less harmful.

  2. Ellen of Tasmania Avatar
    Ellen of Tasmania

    The other question is – “What harm does the constant wearing of masks do?”
    Especially ones that aren’t changed every 20 mins or so.

    And then there’s all that lurgie-laden rubbish …

    But the science-gods have spoken, and they have the guns.

  3. Shy Ted Avatar
    Shy Ted

    QHealth gods beg to differ. https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/protect-yourself-others/face-masks
    Officially lying to 8 million people.

  4. Filbert Avatar
    Filbert

    During the 2003 SARS ‘epidemic’ the following article Farce Mask appeared in the SMH…
    Retailers who cash in on community fears about SARS by exaggerating the health benefits of surgical masks could face fines of up to $110,000.

    NSW Fair Trading Minister Reba Meagher yesterday warned that distributors and traders could be prosecuted if it was suggested the masks offered unrealistic levels of protection from the disease.

    “I’m sure everyone would agree that it is un-Australian to profiteer from people’s fears and anxieties,” Ms Meagher said.

    “There appears to be some debate about whether surgical masks are able to minimise the effects of SARS.”

    Ms Meagher said her department would investigate any complaints about false mask claims which concerned the public.

    “Penalties can range from fines of up to $22,000 for an individual or $110,000 for a corporation,” she said.

    Health authorities have warned that surgical masks may not be an effective protection against the virus.

    “Those masks are only effective so long as they are dry,” said Professor Yvonne Cossart of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Sydney.

    “As soon as they become saturated with the moisture in your breath they stop doing their job and pass on the droplets.”

    Professor Cossart said that could take as little as 15 or 20 minutes, after which the mask would need to be changed. But those warnings haven’t stopped people snapping up the masks, with retailers reporting they are having trouble keeping up with demand.

    John Bell from the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, who owns a pharmacy in Woollahra, Sydney, said mask supplies were running low.

    “At the moment we don’t have any because we haven’t been able to get any in the last few days,” MrBell said. “In the early stages it was unbelievable; we’d get people coming in all the time.”

    Mr Bell agreed with Professor Cossart’s assessment regarding the effectiveness of the masks.

    “I think they’re of marginal benefit,” he said. “In a way they give some comfort to people who think they’re doing as much as they can do to prevent the infection.”

    That seems to be the mentality of travellers to Asian destinations, who are buying and wearing the masks while overseas.

    Rosemary Taylor, of Kirribilli, arrived in Sydney from Shanghai last week after a two-week holiday in China. Ms Taylor and travelling companion Joan Switzer had worn the masks during the trip home, even though they had been warned they were of little value.

    “We were told you need 16 layers on your mask for it to offer 95per cent protection,” Ms Taylor said.

    Article here: https://www.smh.com.au/national/farce-mask-its-safe-for-only-20-minutes-20030427-gdgnyo.html

    So were they lying THEN or NOW? /rhetorical

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