Quote:
Originally Posted by TheDaddy
Viral load, doesn't seem unreasonable to assume anything that cuts the load down, like a mask is probably a good thing!
Only problem with that is for this virus to mutate into that it actually has to evolve into an entirely new virus, which it may well do incidentally but I wouldn't bank on it
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The better thing would not be to rely on whatever protection (which is nowhere near watertight) a mask offers.
Distancing - which means fewer people would get near whatever viral load someone is shedding - is effective.
As is testing and isolating if you have symptoms, and if you're in an environment where there's risk, doing lateral flow tests if you don't.
Much better people who have covid stay at home rather than relying on a mask to protect others. Unless it's a N85 or similar which actually do work, most people don't use them properly anyway, which makes them worse.
I'm still waiting for the person to explain the protection offered by someone walking into a pub, putting a mask on as they come off the street, walking to a table and sitting down with everyone else as it's table service, then taking the mask off, sitting in the pub chatting/watching the football/singing along to the music for a couple of hours whilst enjoying a few drinks and possibly some food, is actually a thing which works. Because to me it looks like the activities which are likely to generate aerosol are the seated ones cheering or singing or at the very least talking where the 30 seconds walking to your table is unlikely to infect anyone more.
Of course, if we all stayed at home all day every day and never went shopping, to work, or to anything else, it'd stop the viral load totally, but that's not workable.