@David Jordan: Have you been to a hospital recently? Half the people wearing masks are barely wearing them at all, and incorrectly. That’s staff and patients too.

@John O’sullivan: Ah yes, YouTube, a well know peer reviewed content. The source of the uneducated.

@Yvon Q.: known.

@John O’sullivan: Dr. Campbell’s video talked cheap cloth surgical masks worn by Health Care Workers in hospital settings, not respirators N95 / P2 masks. It was written by Drs.Patterson, Mehar and Breathnach from St George’s hospital London.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oZ29hRam4CXGqUFxe-Lh-_l-VCqQwXFT/view

They found that health care workers did not contract more infections after they stopped wearing cloth surgical masks. But there is a problem here.

Dr. Breathnach pointed out, in response to Dr. Capmbel’s and media misrepresentations, that health care workers had high levels of immunity that protected them from infection. That is why infections did not increase among a highly immune population.

“Our study on the HCW mask mandate has generated some interest, but important not to overstate conclusions. We found that removing the HCW mask mandate in our hospital did not lead to a rise in the risk of nosocomial COVID, in a highly immune population.”

However, HCW are not who were are primarily worried about i.e. study says nothing about patent safety.

We are worried about the heath of vulnerable patents, the elderly, immune compromised (cancer treatment), patients with lung disease etc.

HCW, as well as patients and visitors, who wear good quality masks, reduce their risk of infecting vulnerable patients.

Choosing a paper, or in this case an obscure conference abstract, that you prefer, is called Confirmation Bias. This is why we must look at what very many papers said, not a single non-peer review abstract like what Dr. Campbell found. This is done by carrying out a meta-analysis, a study of studies.

A meta-analysis weeds out poor quality papers and studies using a transparent method, and aggregates the results of good quality studies together to come to a stronger and more reliable conclusion.

The 11 systematic reviews and meta-analysis studies below that I post all conclude that wearing a good quality face mask e.g. N95, helps reduce the risk of COVID-19 infections.

I provide as many as I could find to show that science on this is consistent:

1. “This evidence supports PPE use by HCW, and especially N95 masks, to reduce the risk of a COVID-19 infection.”

2. “The meta-analysis of RCTs [randomised control trials] found a significant protective effect of facemask intervention (OR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.71–0.99; I2 = 0%). This protective effect was even more pronounced when the intervention duration was more than two weeks (OR = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.66–0.88; I2 = 0%).”

3. “Six studies were found protective effects of wearing mask in non-HCWs [non-heathcare workers] (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: (0.31, 1.06), I2 = 85.63%). Results suggest that there is association between face mask/PPE use and reduction of COVID-19.”

4. “The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis illustrate the effectiveness of face masks, in general, in preventing the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.”

5. “Our findings support the use of face masks particularly in a community setting and for adults.”

6. “The results of this meta-analysis concluded that the use of masks and washing hands during the pandemic can prevent the transmission of COVID-19.”

7. “The results of this systematic review strongly support public health recommendations for wearing a mask to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection in real-world settings. Effective communication efforts are needed to inform the general public of the benefits of wearing face masks to prevent COVID-19.”

8. “This research revealed a positive impact of both N95 respirators and medical masks for COVID-19.”

9. “The literature appraisal, in conjunction with risk assessment of the Omicron variant, side-effects and acceptability to HCWs, along with the precautionary principle, supported maintaining the current policy guided by PCRA rather than adopting a more rigid approach.”

10. “Use of gloves, gown, surgical mask, N95 respirator, face protection, and infection training were each strongly protective against infection.”

11. “N95 respirator use was associated with fewer viral infectious episodes for healthcare workers compared with surgical masks. The N95 respirator was most effective in reducing the risk of a viral infection in the hospital setting…”

References:

Schoberer, D., Osmancevic, S., Reiter, L., Thonhofer, N. and Hoedl, M., 2022. Rapid review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public Health in Practice, p.100280.

Li H, Yuan K, Sun YK, Zheng YB, Xu YY, Su SZ, Zhang YX, Zhong Y, Wang YJ, Tian SS, Gong YM. Efficacy and practice of facemask use in general population: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Translational Psychiatry. 2022 Feb 1;12(1):49.

Hajmohammadi, M., Malehi, A.S. and Maraghi, E., 2023. Effectiveness of using face masks and personal protective equipment to reducing the spread of COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of case–control studies. Advanced Biomedical Research, 12(1), p.36.

Majidi, S., Feizi, A. and Hajizadeh, Y., 2022. The Effect of Face Mask, Air Temperature, and Humidity on COVID-19 Transmission: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Health Scope, 11(4).

Ollila, H.M., Partinen, M., Koskela, J., Borghi, J., Savolainen, R., Rotkirch, A. and Laine, L.T., 2022. Face masks to prevent transmission of respiratory infections: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on face mask use. Plos one, 17(12), p.e0271517.

Siswanto, A., Murti, B. and Prasetya, H., 2022. Face Mask Wearing and Hand Washing Behavior on the Prevention of COVID-19 Infection: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Health Promotion and Behavior, 7(3), pp.182-196.

Crespo, N.C., Fornasier, J.M., Dionicio, P., Godino, J.G., Ramers, C. and Elder, J., 2023. Effectiveness of Face Masks in Preventing COVID-19 Transmission in Real-World Settings: A Systematic Literature Review.

Amiri, A., Jafarizadeh, S., Goshaderoo, A., Moradinejad, P. and Do Nascimento, J.A., 2022. Compare the Effectiveness of Positive Results Between N95 Respirators and Medical Masks in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review. Journal of Complementary Medicine Research, 13(1), pp.12-12.

Sterr, C.M., Dick, A., Schellenberger, L., Zirbes, J., Nonnenmacher-Winter, C. and Günther, F., 2022. High Level Bioaerosol Protection against Infective Aerosols: How Medical Face Masks Compare against Respirators. Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology, 2022.

Lu, Y., Okpani, A., McLeod, C., Grant, J. and Yassi, A., 2023. Masking strategy to protect healthcare workers from COVID-19: An umbrella meta-analysis. Infection, Disease & Health.

Tian, C., Lovrics, O., Vaisman, A., Chin, K.J., Tomlinson, G., Lee, Y., Englesakis, M., Parotto, M. and Singh, M., 2022. Risk factors and protective measures for healthcare worker infection during highly infectious viral respiratory epidemics: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 43(5), pp.639-650.

Soleman, S.R., Lyu, Z., Okada, T., Sassa, M.H., Fujii, Y., Mahmoud, M.A., Ebner, D.K. and Harada, K.H., 2023. Efficacy of personal protective equipment to prevent environmental infection of COVID-19 among healthcare workers: a systematic review. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 28, pp.1-1.

@John O’sullivan: Also, this paper deals with the Omicron vairant, where the spread of several clusters of Omicron were stopped by using N95 respirators and increased testing:

“We report large increases in hospital-onset infections and 2 unit-based clusters. The clusters rapidly abated after instituting universal N95 respirators and daily testing. Broader use of these strategies may prevent nosocomial transmissions.”

“N95 respirators have the potential to decrease transmission to and from patients because they provide better source control and respiratory protection. In contrast to surgical masks, the filtration efficiency of fit-tested N95 respirators is >95%”

https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/75/1/e296/6523822

Indeed, the Wall Street Journal published this in January:

“The Mayo Clinic began on Thursday requiring all patients and visitors to wear surgical masks or N95 or KN95 masks. Anyone wearing a single-layer, homemade cloth mask, gaiter or bandanna, or a mask with a vent, will be provided a medical-grade mask to wear over it.”

Ansberry, C., Subbaraman, N. and Brinson, J.R., 2022. Why cloth masks might not be enough as omicron spreads. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/cloth-face-mask-omicron-11640984082

@David Jordan: Stop Flogging that Horse, Its Long Dead, Move on.

@Yvon Q.: The Eternal Sceptic, More jabbed then Rockie.

@Joe x: Another mask article and the mask cheerleader is off again

@James Whelan: 100%

@Paul Keenan: as is your self the anti madker

@James Whelan: provide a link where the government made such a claim, I’ll wait…i can provide where they are meant to be worn to protect others from the wearer. In fact just check the HSE site on the matter

@Joe x: look at gov.ie clearly states provides protection for the wearer

Well payl support your claim with a link. As I told James, I can wait

@Joe x: sorry. I meant Pal not Payl

@Joe x: Google gov.ie mask covid

@Paul Keenan: he is the mask messiah.

@Joe x: “Wearing a face mask not only helps protect you, but also prevents people who do not know they have COVID-19 from spreading it to others.” From gov.ie.

“If your face mask does not completely cover your nose and mouth, it will not protect you or anyone else.” From hse.ie

@Joe x: “Use of surgical masks by healthcare workers in the context of viral respiratory tract infection has two objectives:

1. To reduce the risk of droplet transmission of infection to the wearer.
2. To reduce the risk of droplet transmission of infection to others.”

Also from hse.ie

@James Whelan: Radio silence from the mask guru

@Joe x: Loads of examples from official sources, Joe. Yes, they mention protecting others by wearing a mask, but they also insisted masks were effective as personal protection.

@Paul Keenan: sorry I meant Paul

@Joe x: Plenty of examples given

@James Whelan: james any Information i get is to protect others but it is only minimal protection for the wearer.

@Sean: I posted the reference to the paper and its link in my previous comment. Here it is again:

Kim, M.S., Seong, D., Li, H., Chung, S.K., Park, Y., Lee, M., Lee, S.W., Yon, D.K., Kim, J.H., Lee, K.H. and Solmi, M., 2022. Comparative effectiveness of N95, surgical or medical, and non‐medical facemasks in protection against respiratory virus infection: A systematic review and network meta‐analysis. Reviews in Medical Virology, 32(5), p.e2336. https://doi.org/10.1002/rmv.2336

Also, there is this new paper that deals with the Omicron variant, where the spread of several clusters of Omicron were stopped by using N95 respirators and increased testing:

“We report large increases in hospital-onset infections and 2 unit-based clusters. The clusters rapidly abated after instituting universal N95 respirators and daily testing. Broader use of these strategies may prevent nosocomial transmissions.”

Baker, et al., 2022. Rapid control of hospital-based severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 omicron clusters through daily testing and universal use of N95 respirators. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 75(1), pp.e296-e299.

Indeed, the Wall Street Journal published this in January, noting that cloth surgical masks are no longer good enough to prevent the spread of Omicron:

“The Mayo Clinic began on Thursday requiring all patients and visitors to wear surgical masks or N95 or KN95 masks. Anyone wearing a single-layer, homemade cloth mask, gaiter or bandanna, or a mask with a vent, will be provided a medical-grade mask to wear over it.”

Ansberry, C., Subbaraman, N. and Brinson, J.R., 2022. Why cloth masks might not be enough as omicron spreads. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/cloth-face-mask-omicron-11640984082

@Joe x:
Gov.ie
Publication
When to wear face masks and how to make them.
Clearly states protects the wearer

@Joe x: You stated above, the use of masks was never sold by any authority in this country to protect the wearer

@Joe x: Perhaps, Joe. But they were advertised as providing personal protection.

@James Whelan: That’s what yhe majority of elderly people still wearing them think also

@James Whelan: 1. To reduce the risk of droplet transmission of infection to the wearer. 2. To reduce the risk of droplet transmission of infection to others.”

Omicron is airborne, it’s no longer merely droplet spread, that’s why N95 or better masks are needed to prevent it from spreading.

Yes, there’s evidence that cloth masks don’t stop Omicron, but people need to stop using that fact to claim masks are not needed.

No, it is evidence that better masks are needed.

Ji, S., Xiao, S., Wang, H. and Lei, H., 2022. Increasing contributions of airborne route in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant transmission compared with the ancestral strain. Building and Environment, 221, p.109328.

@James Whelan: well James to my memeory they were not originally.

@Joe x: That’s called selective memory

@Paul Keenan: and I repeat what I said to James. To my memory they originally were not. And not just me, but to many others I am in contact with. Are you saying we are all remembering wrong? In fact One of my mechs who actually supports your side of the debates was refusing the wear a mask in a cargo bay told me the reason he was not wearing it because it did not protect him so why should he? That was just after the mask mandate came into effect.

@Paul Keenan: whatever Paul….as I said in the other article, we’ll just have to agree to disagree. I’ll keep wearing mine whenever I have symptoms of respitory illness to protect those around me.

@Damien Leen: Damien lay off whatever you are on. Maybe read a bit. Yes, I worry about those I can spread an infection to. They may have an underlying condition that may be further complicated by contracting the virus. The concept seems to be alien to people these days for some reason, caring about what happens to others, no matter who they are…..that bother you Damien? Do you hate your fellow human beings so much you have no problem spreading dosease to them?

@Damien Leen: BTW Damien it is not about letting what is outside in…it is about letting what is inside out. Once the virus is airbourne it is too small for most masks to stop from getting in. In fact it is not the virus the masks stop from getting out….they are too small. What the masks stop from getting out are the droplets of moisture in your breath that are carrying the virus. But once they are out , well then they are out.and will come to rest on something or be inhaled…but sure you know what….do what you want. My conccience us clear. I’ve done my best to help prevent the spread of a virus that can cause the death of someone, 2 if you want to include influenza viruses. Can you say the same?