"Yes, but: There has been no data so far that has found either vaccine's protection against severe disease and death is significantly less against Delta, and the study notes that there doesn't appear to be much of a difference in complications stemming from breakthrough infections based on which vaccine someone got. And experts cautioned against rushing to conclusions. “This is the kind of surprising finding that needs confirmation before we should accept its validity," said Cornell virologist John Moore."
Here is a rather short review of the subject; https://www.pnas.org/content/118/4/e2014564118 I'm not a believer that masks are a panacea...I don't wear one. I do believe they make some sense in unvaccinated indoor closely packed populations. I believe the way to argue it is to look at studies and evidence...not to show a guy standing outside with his breath showing and by fogging your glasses with 5 masks on. What would the outside guy's breath look like if he had a mask on? Sure the aerosols would escape around the edges or even through the middle...would they travel as far? Would there be as much aeorsol? I dunno. And as far as fogging your glasses up...I can do it easily without a mask. Note that this viral immunologist had to press his fingers up tightly against the mask and screen a small area to blow through to get the glasses fogged up with the masks on. Strikes me as another guy (granted, a scientist) with an agenda. Look at the scientific literature...look at all the studies...then decide. Why do we have to believe that either (a) they provide miraculous protection, or (b) they are totally worthless???
I believe they may give some help, but with mandates being passed down left and right again I want as much ammo as I can have that says they are NOT the be all, end all answer that some in charge seem to believe. Of course this example was over the top, but the fact that the aerosol can pass through five masks no matter how it was held should tell you something - which was the point.
I don't believe in the gov't mandating masks...nor do I believe in the gov't mandating that businesses and local school boards can't make their own decisions regarding same.
It just seems to me that we really don't have a lot of options. The one that is the most predictable and most successful is the vaccine. It's not 100%, but current surge is highly skewed towards those who are unvaccinated, both in numbers and severity of outcomes. I don't get why those who are unvaccinated, who are also those who are likely ( don't have data to support this) to not want to wear a mask and don't want to social distance. It encroaches on their freedoms. So they get sick and some die or have long term consequences. As for that film, the conclusion is that nobody should bother wearing a mask. I assume that he doesn't wear a mask when he's working with cultures in the lab since the purpose is to keep the cultures he's working on from being contaminated, if he wears a mask then he's a hypocrite IMHO. Also I guess Surgeons and other Operating room personnel shouldn't bother wearing masks either since they aren't effective. I have no problem with mask mandates.
No Terry, there is no conclusion. You are allowed to draw your own from an additional piece of information - judge for yourself. I guess that depends on what the purpose of the mask is? If they intend it to stop a 1 micron corona virus from possibly getting to the patient, then it is probably a fail. If it is to prevent general saliva droplets (and all they carry) from speaking and or random coughs during surgery then it's probably a good thing. I have big problems with mask mandates.
I'm just being sarcastic here, but if all the masks do is prevent the surgeon from drooling on you then they don't need to buy expensive ASTM certified level 3 masks, bandana's from home should do the job!
I think the research I posted shows that there is some benefits from masks. I'm not wearing one and I'm opposed to gov't mandates but that is what I believe. I also believe that the benefits from masking is minuscule to the benefits from being vaccinated.
Looks like we are heading to a booster this fall for the general population. I hope the availability is better organized than what we all had to go through to get vaxed early on in the process.
From the WSJ: Unvaccinated people are more than twice as likely to be reinfected with Covid-19 than people who are fully vaccinated, a new study suggests, underscoring the importance of vaccines in containing the pandemic. The study, published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at nearly 250 patients in Kentucky who had Covid-19 in 2020 and tested positive again between May and June 2021. The authors compared the vaccination status of those patients with those of nearly 500 similar people who also had an infection in 2020 but hadn’t been reinfected through June 2021. People who were unvaccinated were 2.34 times more likely to be reinfected than those who were fully vaccinated, the researchers found. “If you decide you’re just going to trust that natural immunity is going to protect you, you’re more than twice as likely to get infected as those people who decide to get vaccinated,” said Daniel Griffin, chief of infectious disease at healthcare provider network ProHealth New York, who wasn’t involved in the study. Unvaccinated More Than Twice as Likely to Get Covid-19 Again, CDC Says Link to full study. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7032e1.htm
Well Texas Gov Greg Abbot has tested positive for Covid. I'm guessing that he never wears a mask. I am a bit surprised that even though he's asymptomatic he's getting that expensive Monoclonal Antibody treatment. August 17, 2021 | Austin, Texas | Press Release Office of the Governor Communications Director Mark Miner today issued a statement after Governor Greg Abbott tested positive for COVID-19: "Governor Greg Abbott today tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The Governor has been testing daily, and today was the first positive test result. Governor Abbott is in constant communication with his staff, agency heads, and government officials to ensure that state government continues to operate smoothly and efficiently. The Governor will isolate in the Governor's Mansion and continue to test daily. Governor Abbott is receiving Regeneron's monoclonal antibody treatment. "Governor Abbott is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, in good health, and currently experiencing no symptoms. Everyone that the Governor has been in close contact with today has been notified. Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott tested negative."
So the Booster is coming starting in Sept. You're eligiblie 8 months after your 2nd shot, that puts me into early October. What I'm not clear on is the booster just the same shot I got back in Feb or is it a tweaked version. It would seem like it should be a tweaked version, since they are waiting on an EUA from the FDA. I'm guessing that the need for the booster will seen as validation to those who didn't take the vaccine in the first place that they made the right decision. They will claim it doesn't work and if it did we wouldn't need a booster. Of course, lots of vaccines require boosters, for example the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) is recommended every 10 years.
The following is an op-ed by and Indianapolis pediatrician regarding the wearing of masks by school children. The underlying theme is that we're asking the wrong questions. She points out how in the past year masks have helped to prevent normally prevalent infections like RSV and flu. She provides her own anecdotal evidence supporting this and notes that other pediatric ERs in the Indianapolis area and across the country have found likewise. She also makes other sensible conclusions related to the topic. IMO it's a worthwhile read. Masking in Schools: Stop Debating the Wrong Question
Making any conclusions that masks were THE reason for the changes she discusses is flawed at best without proper controls to make sure other factors are accounted for. Simple scientific method tells me that while it is POSSIBLE masks are doing the good she sees, it's also likely just a small part of the whole equation. For instance... what about far fewer kids being sent to school sick in the first place? Might change those numbers right off the bat... I wonder what the social interaction implications would be if a kid grew up from 5 to 18 hardly seeing half of other people's faces while speaking?
That is a good point. I think I have read that the regular run of the mill flu was way down this year and last year, again likely due to 1) people staying home when sick 2) Can't discount the impact of masks 3) people washing their hands more which was always advised during flu season and 4) the whole social distancing. It's a fair question but I seriously doubt we're going to be wearing masks for the next 10-12 years to see that happen.
I'm back to wearing a mask at church, the grocery store, and pretty much every place I go into these days. I've stopped going to the gym again. Just being cautious. We've never stopped wearing a mask at the office and asking our patients to wear a mask when they enter the office. Early on we didn't allow anybody but whoever was receiving care into the office, parents/spouses/friends had to wait outside somewhere. We've softened that and now allow them to sit in the waiting room but we only have a few chairs so it doesn't get filled up and they have to be masked while sitting in the waiting room. I have some colleagues who don't require patients to be masked anymore if they are fully vaccinated. But I'm not there yet.
God bless you, Scott. I could have predicted your reaction. In any event, thanks for taking the time to read it. Terry, I'm right at the edge of doing the same re: going back to wearing a mask in certain situations. My best friend here caught a break-through infection, was not hospitalized, and this past Monday received an infusion of convalescent plasma. He called me this morning to let me know he's turned the corner. I should wear a mask just to avoid what he's experienced.
There's a contrary view. One that looks beyond Covid and recognizes that masks impede development in children in many ways. Making children wear masks in the classroom is 'child abuse' | Daily Mail Online