Thread by @HuffmanLabDU

I keep thinking about articles discussing importance of being both #VaxxedAndMasked. Some comments via 🧵. (1/x)

Data shows:
✔️ Vax safe & wildly effective
✔️ No vax 100% (think raincoat or sunscreen)
✔️ Masks very effective
✔️ Both help indiv & public health
✔️ Delta is a beast

https://twitter.com/j_g_allen/status/1417946296489496578

2/ Through hard work we know:
✔️ COVID could spread by several routes
✔️ Airborne aerosols likely to be a critically important piece of that spread
✔️ We can reduce w/ masks, distancing, reducing #SharedAir
✔️ Vax reduces number & severity of infections
thelancet.com/journals/lance…

3/ So if the only factor (indiv or collectively) is to provide the best protection, the answer is clearly to #VaxUp ASAP & to still #MaskUp in crowds or indoors w/ anyone who is unvaxxed. Delta is dangerous & many not yet protected.

https://twitter.com/HuffmanLabDU/status/1417940532982992896

4/ But the question isn't just about physical or medical science, it is how we can motivate behavior best for all.

❓ Did rescinding mask mandates increase a vax push?
❓ Does pushing masks now undermine vax credibility?
❓ What level of risk would be reduced by further masking?

5/ As @j_g_allen said ☝️ about whether to push being #VaxxedAndMasked - "If it was straightforward, we wouldn't be talking about it."

That's true, b/c the convo is no longer limited by physical evidence, but led by social science & public health strategy.
theatlantic.com/health/archive…

6/ Current public discussion of vax/masks may be confusing, b/c respected experts may disagree on the strategy for public health. But I think it is important to point out that this does NOT imply disagreement about whether vax & masks work & are important. Better agreement there.

7/ E.g. I occasionally disagree w/ colleagues I trust on matters of opinion, e.g. about what mandates may produce the best outcomes for the community. I generally do NOT disagree on issues regarding the physical evidence about COVID spread and prevention.
theatlantic.com/politics/archi…

8/ Of course
- still real uncertainties wrt details of COVID transmission, esp. variants
- and denialists sow misinformation & block progress.

These are still real challenges. But we generally know the principles to seriously slow the virus; the ? IMO is application of strategy.

9/ Also still questions about how the Delta variant will affect breakthrough infections, incl. the level of risk to unvaxxed children, immunocompromised & others, and *how* beneficial masks might be.

But the principles of prevention are still the same.
sfgate.com/bayarea/articl…

10/ I also think an important part of the discussion is that many disagreements in US culture come down to philosophical or ideological divides over fundamental differences in whether you tend towards valuing individual rights over those of the community, or the opposite.

11/ This tweet gets to the heart of that discussion. To me, the COVID challenge is a collective one & we must work together. Risks acceptable to one are a further risk to all others. As a society we should protect each other, even if it frustrates some.

https://twitter.com/srgfin/status/1418235688751882243

12/ I also don't think selected mask or vax rules during a pandemic unnecessarily infringe on civil rights. We have determined by our laws that you cannot bring a knife on an airplane. The risk to the community is too great & we restrict civil liberty to carry knives as a result.

13/ But ultimately, the ?'s about whether to require vaccination or masks in certain settings is a complex sociological question of what strategies to apply to motivate the best collective action &, thus, public health. The physical science is solid. How to apply that is messier.

14/ During interviews, I work to separate my professional expertise (aerosol science, analytical chem) from my personal thoughts about mask strategy. I have a right to my strong opinions on how to protect the vulnerable, but I'm not paid for that part.

https://twitter.com/HuffmanLabDU/status/1394817522277306373

15/ Recently the Amer. Acad. of Pediatrics recommended mask-wearing for everyone in schools over 2 yrs (regardless of vax).
nytimes.com/2021/07/19/hea…
us.cnn.com/2021/07/19/us/…
And @NationalNurses wrote a letter to #CDC recommending universal masking for all.
thehill.com/policy/healthc…

16/ COVID is still ravaging the world - even if many now wish to ignore it. I am fully vaxxed, but currently wear my #N95 in crowds & will continue to support measures that further protect the vulnerable in the community.
#VaxUp #Maskup #Ventilation #HEPA
cnn.com/2021/07/08/hea…

17/ See also today's take by @KatherineJWu.
#Masks are still important.
They're a critical aspect of public defense against COVID.
I don't think their use undermines the importance of vaccinations.
I agree that donning a mask is not a high cost to bear.
theatlantic.com/health/archive…