I have been perplexed as to why places with long standing face mask mandates have seen explosions in cases months later. We are seeing this all over the world now.
A logical question is: Why are face masks not working?
- Many face masks used are not using effective filtration materials.
- Many people are not using the masks properly. Yesterday I saw a news photo of a crowd at a public event where face masks were mandatory for all adults. More than half of the adults had their noses uncovered, their mouth and nose uncovered, or the mask pull down around their necks!
- Social distancing behavior changes when wearing a mask. We see this at many events where the six foot guidelines seem to vanish when people are wearing a face mask.
- Finally, it may be because we are required to wear masks where they would have little impact in reducing the spread of the disease -and not required where they would have an impact. Specifically, 40% of new Covid-19 cases come from close household contacts; but no one wears a face mask in their own home. Another 20% or so come from close social contacts, often when meeting in someone’s home. Again, few wear a face mask in their own homes.
- THIS IS PROBABLY WHY FACE MASKS ARE NOT HAVING MUCH EFFECT – WE WEAR THEM WHERE RISK IS LOW – AND DO NOT WEAR THEM WHERE RISK IS HIGH (INSIDE OUR HOMES). There is little chance I will catch Covid-19 while shopping at my local mega building supply store – everyone is spaced apart, and if not, its only for a very brief passage in an aisle. There is no extended close contact. But inside our homes? Tons of extended close contact.
- This issue has begun to be noticed.
- The likelihood of compliance with mandatory 24 x 7 face mask wearing inside your own home is probably going to be nil.
More evidence:
Oct. 30 (UPI) — Children age 12 years and younger infected with COVID-19 pass the virus to other members of their households more than half of the time, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Teens aged 12 to 17 years infected others in their households nearly 40% of the time, the data showed.
….
“These findings suggest that transmission of [COVID-19] within households is high, occurs quickly, and can originate from both children and adults,” the agency researchers wrote
And more from CNN – household transmission is common and quick. Yep, we need to mandate face masks 24 x 7 inside our homes.
