Thread by @DearPandemic

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Q: Does wearing a #clothmask protect me, or protect others?

A: Mostly others, but if we all wear them in places where maintaining an adequate distance from others is challenging, we can all potentially protect each other.

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The key to understanding this is distinguishing transmission via ingress vs. egress.

For the most part, discussion of mask use early in the pandemic focused on preventing INGRESS: transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from sick individuals to #healthcare workers

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#ppe, such as medical-grade respirator masks, can prevent aerosol transmission to health care workers who must be in close contact with patients and/or perform medical procedures. (hence the emphasis on making sure such masks are available to this group).

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Increasingly, focus has turned to preventing EGRESS: transmission of the virus from mask wearers to the outside world in settings where maintaining the recommended distance of 6 feet apart is difficult.

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The authors of the article below note, "The good news is that preventing transmission to others through egress is relatively easy. It’s like stopping gushing water from a hose right at the source"

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While the peer-reviewed evidence of the effectiveness of cloth mask use remains limited, the authors point to some preliminary findings showing that, "even a cotton mask dramatically reduces the number of virus particles emitted from our mouths—by as much as 99 percent."

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This reduction provides two huge benefits. Fewer virus particles mean that people have a better chance of avoiding #infection, and if they are infected, the lower viral-exposure load may give them a better chance of contracting only a mild illness."

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The authors continue "Models show that if 80 percent of people wear masks that are 60 percent effective, easily achievable with cloth, we can get to an effective R0 of less than one." and "Mask use in combination with physical #distancing is even more powerful."

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While these studies have not yet been peer-reviewed, they suggest that even without 100% effectiveness, use of cloth masks in settings where #socialdistancing is challenging can help lower egress, thereby protecting those around you (and their mask can help protect you).

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Read the full article here: theatlantic.com/health/archive…

#nerdygirls #COVIDー19 #Covid_19 #TestTraceIsolate #StayHome