President Trump announced that social distancing guidelines will be extended through April 30th and that current projections show that the peak is expected in 2 weeks. He was convinced by Dr. Fauci to extend the restrictions as it would be foolish to declare victory before victory was won.
I’d be surprised if the timeline to go back to normal isn’t pushed back again.
Perhaps what could really help would be an antibody blood test, so that those that have had coronavirus and are immune can get back to normal life again. Hopefully that test becomes widely available in the near future.
Perhaps it’s also time for Americans to start wearing masks?
The debate is surprisingly fierce.
The CDC doesn’t recommend masks. They say that they don’t stop a layman from catching a disease and that laymen may wear them improperly, which can actually spread a disease even more than without a mask.
People in Asia can’t understand how people in the west don’t wear masks. China even deployed drones to get everyone to weak a mask:
Walking around without a protective face mask? Well, you can't avoid these sharp-tongued drones! Many village and cities in China are using drones equipped with speakers to patrol during the #coronavirus outbreak. pic.twitter.com/ILbLmlkL9R
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) January 31, 2020
Regardless of whether you trust the numbers from China, they’re widely worn in Asian countries that were far more successful than the US in containing COVID-19, despite not having stay at home orders like we have in the US. Countries like Taiwan had great success keeping their numbers low by having everyone wear masks. Taiwan banned mask exports and capped the price of a mask at 17 cents.
Based on that, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and Science Magazine are starting to champion masks for Americans.
The CDC is weary of the medical community not having a sufficient supply of masks, and that is a strong concern. The price of N95 masks have climbed from 50 cents to nearly $10 each, making them cost prohibitive for hospitals.
The other side argues that it doesn’t take an N95 mask to help stop the spread of coronavirus. Even a homemade mask made from a t-shirt or face covering can prevent the spread of droplets that pass coronavirus around. Plus it will stop people from touching their face when outside, which can spread coronavirus. Of course if that mask isn’t handled properly and disposed or laundered, it can cause more harm than good.
Face masks don't work, so please stop hoarding them or else medical professionals will not have access to the stuff that doesn't work.
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) March 4, 2020
Another reason the CDC doesn’t typically recommend masks is that most diseases only spread once someone is symptomatic, but that isn’t the case with COVID-19 which is highly transmittable before symptoms develop.
Finally, masks primarily stop coronavirus from spreading, but the CDC doesn’t think western civilizations will adopt it in high enough numbers like they have in the east to prevent its spread. Without most people wearing masks, it would be hard to allow people to go outside without worrying about contracting COVID-19.
But the Czech Republic is trying to prove that isn’t correct and that western civilizations can be trained to wear masks:
I’m not taking a side in the debate, but I’d love to hear what you think in the comments. Is it time for #Masks4all?
Loading ...For now though, the key is to stay home and save lives.
You can discuss coronavirus and how it’s affecting your life on the dedicated COVID-19 board on DDF here.
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61 Comments On "Federal Social Distancing Guidelines Extended Through April 30th; Is It Time For #Masks4All And When Will We Have Antibody Tests?"
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David Heymann, formerly of WHO said on Face the Nation this morning that there is no good reason to believe that surviving COVID19 confers protective immunity, given other Coronaviruses re-infect people all the time.
Dr. Fauci clearly disagrees:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfcJecd6jtE
So would you want to take a chance when there’s a difference of opinion?
I’d bet on Dr. Fauci, but I’d imagine that more data will be coming out soon.
Anyways WHO stopped following the science long ago…stooges for the Chicoms – like this from today:
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-who-official-appears-to-dodge-reporters-questions-about-taiwan-in-viral-video
Maybe…but that’s not a great argument. Staying in quarantine probably works. Why take a risk. You need to way cost benefit. You can eliminate car deaths if everyone were to drive at 10mph…but we don’t want to
How long are you willing to stay inside for? Until a vaccine?
Great interview. You should add to your post.
He didn’t really answer how to judge what the cause of death is in a case where someone for example has lung cancer and contracts the virus and dies, people die from lung cancer all the time how do we know wether it was the virus or the cancer?
Up to 10% of the people infected with the virus have tested positive again.
https://www.foxnews.com/health/up-to-10-percent-of-recovered-coronavirus-patients-test-positive-again-report-says
Did they ever test negative?
Did they have an antibody test?
I have read in several places that people in China have been reinfected. It’s definitely at least debatable.
With every disease different people acquire different levels of immunity
Would love antibody tests!!!
So many people I know have tested positive or are sick in bed. I bH have been indoors for 11 days already and pretty much feel fine aside for a sore throat I had 1 week prior to Purim which has since went away.
My assumption is that I was Asymptomatic … but who knows.
No, you likely didn’t have it. Keep staying home
How can masks possibly cause more harm than good? Even if worn improperly, how can it be worse than no mask?
One can argue that they’re ineffectual and that may or may not be but how can they be worse that not wearing them?
Because you keep touching your face, which is much worse
Exactly. I think it’s a bunch of b.s. concocted so that we don’t drain the hospital supplies further, which I get. But there needs to be a way to ramp up production so that tgere are enough masks for the hospitals and all Americans, even if we each just had one mask that we rewear each day.
Because germs in your breath multiply and you keep breathing them back in, with no space for fresh air to circulate
Taiwan sealed the borders hermetically and issued very strict stay at home orders RIGHT away, that IMO is why they have such low numbers not the masks. By the time you start seeing high hospitalizations etc the amount is spreaders are astronomical
I think once we have an ample supply of n95 masks the CDC will do a 180 and highly recommend people to wear them. Right now they are trying to save for medical professionals and not have another TP situation (or worse)
I think the CDC has been wrong at every turn on this. China clearly lied about their numbers, so the world vastly underestimated this. It spreads like an airborne virus. I guess the CDC just hasn’t come to terms with that yet but if you listen to Trump or the CDC, you may end up getting sick. Stay away from people and wear a mask if you go out. Wash your hands frequently and try not to touch surfaces that others touch frequently (stair rails, tables, etc). Assume everyone around you had the virus and that will help you get into the right mindset.
I bought enough masks for the family 1pp in February – in the event we were required to wear them outside to shop, etc.
If simple non-N95 mask are ineffective why do doctors, surgeons, dentists and other medical professionals where them (surgical masks are not N95) and gloves during medical procedures or (yellow ppe gowns and caps for infectious rooms).
I think masks are also a good visual reminder to keep distance as well not to touch your face – I have been wearing one nitrile glove (non-dominant hand) when having to shop its a great reminder – and helps me to keep aware when I have to shop – also less waste.
To prevent droplets from the doctors falling on the patient.
Well the only way to get back to normal life is first to test by the millions for the virus and then have to work quickly on getting that blood test out to test for antibodies the longer it takes the deeper the economy will sink to the point where it will take a long time to come out of this mess not like the president says that it will be quick rebound it wont be . Also the longer it takes to get back to normal life the more risk we create for crime robbery stealing etc. people will have drug addictions by the thousands suicide rate will be higher then ever so while we wait it out as patiently as we can we have to remember that were creating massive problems so yes it’s important to save the millions of lives but at some point we have to get back to life.
Merits implementation, if only for minimizing touching face, nose and eyes. (and likely the key reason behind not imposing it on civilians is the lack of availability)
“Another reason the CDC doesn’t typically recommend masks is that most diseases only spread once someone is symptomatic, but that isn’t the case with COVID-19 which is highly transmittable before symptoms develop.”
This is the main reason that we SHOULD wear masks! I’d like to see them at least be mandatory in places that are not avoidable for the public: doctor offices, grocery stores, pharmacies.
@MC, reread what Dan wrote.
USA is a total mess rite now and will continue to be for awhile thanx to inaction and inability to make mask wearing a law
Agree. Maybe send president trump a link to this post
Great idea. Surgical masks are available and relatively inexpensive. Every grocery store should hand out 1 mask to every shopper on the way in.
Where are surgical masks available? Hospitals in ny and mj don’t even have enough.
Many Asians wear masks ALWAYS, especially when traveling. I don’t see this being the new normal in the US.
No matter the recommendation, the biggest challenge is access to masks. They are Extremely hard to get in the US. Most would wear them IF available. I just got my level 1 mask from China, because I can’t find ANY masks here. I would love to get my hands on N95, but until we have them in excess, I think people on the front line should have them first.
Overall, the lack of preparedness illustrated by the US government is simple sad. Trust is essential in an advanced society and although it has been been decreasing for a long time, the last few years have been exceptional with all the lies.
Completely disagree with you about the face masks. Some points are correct but most recent published guidelines are very clear on the matter. Here is just one link
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30134-X/fulltext
Not sure what there is to disagree with when I’m not advocating for anything other than a healthy debate.
I see now you ended the article not voting. I’d be a solid no for the public
In the Czech Republic someone walked into a bank without a mask and everyone thought he was going to rob it.
If someone is immuned they can still have the virus on there hands and endanger other people that are not immuned. Am I wrong ?
It’s only reasonable to ask people to wear masks if they’re available in the first place. Don’t stop us from shopping if we can’t find a mask even if we tried.
@Dan The CDC doesnt appear to think the virus is highly transmissible before symptoms appear.
“Some spread might be possible before people show symptoms; there have been reports of this occurring with this new coronavirus, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/how-covid-spreads.html
The CDC is a lot of fake news
That video reminds me of 1984.
well it is China – but it almost gave that “auntie” a heart attack.
The only thing the face masks and the kitchen gloves accomplish is a post-purim costume
There are many reasons why people shouldn’t be wearing masks.
1. If worn improperly they cause more harm than good since one will think I am protected and go out and both transmit or receive the virus.
2. This might be a selfish reason and may not be one anyone agrees with but the first responders, healthcare workers need these supplies and are short because everyone says they need one when what they should be doing is staying indoors.
3. Wearing these masks tend to make people touch their face more often which is something they shouldn’t be doing.
As for the masks that people in China wear they are not N95s they are regular masks for pollution.
770th Voter!
Sorry to be that guy.
Do we have enough masks for that?? Our frontline healthcare providers dont have PPE!!
Read the post/watch the video.
Great article that addresses this argument. https://medium.com/@lilcheng/the-case-for-universal-adoption-of-cloth-face-masks-b69e772c55dc
All for masks and gloves if available. The amount of products that are picked up and then put back by multiple people (especially the egg cartons and fruit and vegetable sections) at your local supermarket makes it easy to spread. Especially in the older population who have to bring the product closer to their eyes to see it. Definitely all for doing all we can to stop the spread.
Good luck to all of us and ours…
hopefully starting Monday (Javits and Floating Hospital) we will have a huge boost in suffering patients to be treated. Thanks to all the medical staff, law enforcement, civilian aiding in this historic mission !!
Yes, time for Americans to start wearing masks. And wear them for the next six months or so. Only with masks we can restart production at American factories, reopen offices, gyms, resume relatively normal life.
By the way, the CDC completely lost trust of American medical community by suggesting them to wear bandanas and homemade masks.
That’s not true. The masks really haven’t been proven to be a fully preventative measure. Think about this, if there is carbon monoxide poisoning in the room, you’ll still breath in the poison and die.
On January 8 Hong Kong told people to wear masks, and they do a forehead temperature check before you can access a public building. Hong Kong now has had FOUR (4) deaths. They are similar in size and population to New York which has almost 800. Are we that slow to learn anything?
N95 masks are not on Amazon even from third party sellers
There is literally no way the peak is in two weeks when most states didn’t begin to spike. This is simply Trump once again saying what sounds good.
If someone has antibodies, will that prevent him from carrying the virus and sharing it with someone who has not acquired immunity?
As a human carrier, yes. That is why the first priority for antibody testing is healthcare personnel so they can work closely without fear.
Of course, anyone could still carry infectious particles on their clothing, from surfaces they have touched, etc.
With regular flu, once you have antibodies you’re immune and can’t pass the virus on any more. With corona virus – it’s still not certain.
Forget about a box of chocolate. In future, next time you’re a guest, bring a box of masks.
My county was offered an antibody test. We turned it down due to the expense and the limited benefit they can currently provide. If the limited testing that has been done in San Miguel county, there are DP of people leaving isolation and interacting with other people that have a negative test even though a negative test does not mean you don’t have an active infection and the people have been told that.
The company wanted over 200k to test our small county of less than 5k and wanted several million to test the next county over which has a larger population.
Apparently the CDC is reconsidering and is currently reviewing whether they will recommend masks for everyone. Washington Post.