Who? WHO. Yes, so who? WHO - they just got it, 5 months into the crisis (source https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52945210) : "The World Health Organization (WHO) has changed its advice on face masks, saying they should be worn in public to help stop the spread of coronavirus. The global body said new information showed they could provide "a barrier for potentially infectious droplets". It points to recent research that people can be highly infectious in the few days before they show symptoms [pre-symptomatic] and that some people catch the virus but never show symptoms at all [asymptomatic]" (Duh! I think most people on this Forum knew this months ago!). The BOLD and [ ] are my additions to the original. How many lives have been lost due to crass ignorance from an organisation supposedly at the top of the game??? Tip: You do not need "research" to know the obvious.
I beleive the above is a mis-quote as to what was actually said. Research of this reveals comments about the effectiveness of masks as the means of preventing spread. The inference appears to be, the only sole means of prevention. The WHO have been advising the wearing of masks from at least early April possibly well before that date but the quote above conveniently ignores this. Refer following ... https://www.who.int/influenza/publications/public_health_measures/publication/en/: “Face masks worn by asymptomatic people are conditionally recommended in severe epidemics or pandemics, to reduce transmission in the community”
Correct me if I'm wrong but asyptomatic people are those walking round showing no signs and therefore spreading the virus in the first place. You know like closing the stable door after the horse has bolted! The truth is most Western Governments have contradicted themselves so many times, people no longer know what to believe. The latest news in UK being it will now be compulsory to wear masks on Public transport, when visiting Hospitals, etc ,etc, as from next week!........ the horse has bolted again!! It's my personal opinion, that the wearing of masks was delayed in UK, to prevent a shortage for key-workers, due to the fact UK was not sufficiently stocked for any outbreak whatsoever. It is now stated that the North West of England has seen a rise in cases in the last few days compared to last week.
You are perfectly correct - so, for those who say that advice for asymptomatic (and pre-symptomatic) cases to wear masks (and, of course, we cannot eliminate infected persons from the list!) is a good thing have missed the point that the two groups (asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic) DON'T KNOW they are! So, as no-one knows (and every possible case is covered by 'asymptomatic', 'pre-symptomatic' and 'infected', minus the few 'recovered' (who may again become one of the other 3 groups!)) then everyone needs to wear a mask. I agree with you - that is the point I made on the Forum when I said I brought about 30 N95 masks with me to the Philippines 5 years ago when I moved here - if I knew a virus pandemic was likely (obviously did not know the exact timing but every day it got one day closer - I thought it might be influenza, but a respiratory virus is a respiratory virus!) then why did our bright government not prepare? They have let people die because they are incompetent.
Ok ... so explain to me how 'asymptomatic' and 'pre-symptomatic' persons (which means those who have NO CLUE whether or not they are infected) know they are in those stages?? To be more precise, explain to me how you personally know for certain at this exact moment that you are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic or neither.
I don't care for it but, in my opinion, the wearing of masks is a no brainer. The way a mask would protect the user and others in close vicinity from aerosol dispersion of the virus seems obvious. The problem with the advice from science is that the virus is something we are learning about and as we do so, our understanding of the virus, how it's spread, and who contagious and when is constantly evolving. Additionally, the wearing of masks has been politicized by the American right which adds a layer of controversy to the issue. Whether you are within a meter of others for any part of a day is a distinction I think too much to ask of anyone, including authorities here in the Philippines. I think it reasonable and responsible as a member of the local society to do your part and wear a mask. This is not a high bar to set, even though I don't like wearing a mask, I do so in public.
I agree with you. Learning is still fluid so what else can we do? I think I heard on the news that if you take blood thinners, which I do, it is apparently helpful as a preventer but I imagine the sample size is small and the study term short.
Simple, you dont have to know. Just take the precaution because you might be infected. Better to be safe than sorry as they say.
