Read on Twitter
Viral load has impact on severity of #COVID19 cases. Masks, of any sort, reduce the viral load that one breathes out, and one breathes in...we need to get every person wearing some sort of masks (leave n95s/surgical to HCWs until supply permits for all) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(20)30232-2/fulltext
Here’s how it worked with smallpox:
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/smallpox/sp_variolation.html
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/smallpox/sp_variolation.html
Here’s a study of the efficacy of masks in reducing viral load: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3591312/
Asymptomatic people produce similar viral load as symptomatic people:
https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.09320
https://arxiv.org/abs/2003.09320
This period of isolation should be used to #FlattenTheCurve to aid HCWs. However, we will need to shift our lives back to a functioning economy, at some point. The next solution to implement, see @nntaleb is aggressive contact tracing, once case numbers are manageable:
Caveat to this: I’m assuredly using some vernacular incorrectly, as I do not have the requisite background in all fields necessary to be an expert in it. With that said, it appears that the logic behind the theory has merit. It appears to contribute to why HCWs have it severe.
Another challenge to the healthy not wearing masks idea: open-air treatment ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4504358/). If breathing in higher concentration of virus leads to higher severity, wouldn’t masks on infected people cause their case to be more severe? Thus HCWs should be on oxygen?
https://m.box.com/shared_item/https%3A%2F%2Fstanfordmedicine.app.box.com%2Fv%2Fcovid19-PPE-1-1 Should you reuse your mask? What is the best method of doing so?
Makeshift alternatives can have very effective results, compared to wearing no masks. https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/best-materials-make-diy-face-mask-virus/
Great video showing the potential droplet/airborne transmission. This also contributes to why HCWs are more vulnerable and why open-air treatment is important:
