I think enough is enough. It is time to end Canada’s preposterous face mask misdirection. Masks work #masks4all scmp.com/comment/opinio… via @scmpnews
There is a vast volume of science supporting case that masks work. Dutch scientists, PLoS One: "Any type of general mask use is likely to decrease viral exposure and infection risk on a population level, in spite of imperfect fit and imperfect adherence" journals.plos.org/plosone/articl…
Masks protected HK health workers up to 13 times more than not wearing one during the 2003 battle against SARS, and were "the only measure to give statistically significant protection" newscientist.com/article/dn3692…
Face masks and handwashing in households prevent flu transmission ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19652172
There are many more studies here docs.google.com/document/d/1HL…
On the other hand, what research evidence is there that wearing face masks causes harm, say, by misuse, infection, poor disposal etc, as is routinely contended? There is none
Do not buy medical masks. They are needed by Canada's health workers. Stay home instead. But similarly, do not buy the falsehood that masks do not work
Until there is a widely available vaccine for covid-19, Canada currently has NO viable pathway to normality, no matter how flat we flatten the curve. We still won't be immune. Get real: Covid-19 will return
But with East Asian nations as an example, masks (in combination with other essentials like wise distancing and hand hygiene etc) masks offer a chance at a semblance of normality
Like China, Canada should be thinking on a war footing, and mask factories should be part of that arsenal. Canada should not be beholden to the generosity of China. Sewing circles are not the answer to mask shortages. Mask factories are
And a late update: scmp.com/news/china/art…
