As the coronavirus hit the United States at the beginning of the year, there was a lot of conflicting information regarding protecting ourselves and our friends and family. Should we be social distancing? Should we wear a mask? Are these practices helpful or not? Is herd immunity the goal? How can we reduce the spread? Unfortunately, a lot of information and advice was given without enough research, and looking back in hindsight, our new information can help clear this up.
Today on The Call Room, it’s all about the mask and answering some of the most common questions I get asked. Which mask is best? Why is there a surge in cases even though we’re wearing masks? Are people wearing them correctly? With all of these questions, I thought it was time to collect the studies and papers and tests to put some of these questions to rest.
Listen in to learn all about masks, how they can help protect you from the coronavirus, and how conflicting viewpoints on their use have come up.
“The vast majority of individuals who test positive for Coronavirus are going to do fine and going to recover.” – Dr. Robert Berry
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Show Notes:
- What exactly a case of COVID-19 is and how it is determined
- Why an uptick in cases may be an error in testing practices
- The truth behind rumors of financial incentives altering case numbers
- How respiratory illness models relate to the current pandemic
- Should we be concerned about a second wave?
- How mandating masks can help hold off a second wave
- The difference between the many kinds of masks
- Why a mask can give a false sense of security
- The best practices of sanitation and mask wearing
- Different studies and what they conclude about the safety of masks
- How humidity affects the spread of coronavirus
- Why COVID-19 does not seem to affect children
- The safety of opening up again
“If we’re going to mandate masks, we want to know if there’s evidence to support that.” – Dr. Robert Berry
Links Mentioned:
- COMMENTARY: Masks-for-all for COVID-19 not based on sound data
- Fact check: No, N95 filters are not too large to stop COVID-19 particles
- An Experimental Study Of The Efficacy Of Gauze Face Masks
- N95 Respirators vs Medical Masks for Preventing Influenza Among Health Care Personnel
- Effectiveness of N95 respirators versus surgical masks against influenza: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
- Effectiveness of Masks and Respirators Against Respiratory Infections in Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Health care–associated infection prevention in Japan: The role of safety culture
- Face Masks to Prevent Transmission of Influenza Virus: A Systematic Review
- The use of masks and respirators to prevent transmission of influenza: a systematic review of the scientific evidence
“There’s a false sense of security that comes from wearing masks.” – Dr. Robert Berry