The media has been telling us for over a year and a half that masks are awesome, just wear a mask. Any mask. Once in a while they’ll do a study that shows the effectiveness of most masks is barely better than not wearing a mask at all, but, those are minimized. And now NPR is really letting the cat out of the bag
If you're still using a cloth mask, it's time to up your game. Experts say to block omicron, you should upgrade to an N95 or similar high-filtration mask.
Here's how to find a good one — and when to wear it.https://t.co/UpfUTTdcRG
— NPR (@NPR) December 23, 2021
From the screed
With another coronavirus variant racing across the U.S., once again health authorities are urging people to mask up indoors. Yes, you’ve heard it all before. But given how contagious omicron is, experts say, it’s seriously time to upgrade to an N95 or similar high-filtration respirator when you’re in public indoor spaces.
“Cloth masks are not going to cut it with omicron,” says Linsey Marr, a researcher at Virginia Tech who studies how viruses transmit in the air.
Omicron is so much more transmissible than coronavirus variants that have come before it. It spreads at least three times faster than delta. One person is infecting at least three others at a time on average, based on data from other countries. (snip)
True, a cloth mask can be a “marginally OK to maybe a decent filter,” Marr says. But with something as highly transmissible as omicron, just “OK” isn’t good enough. (snip)
Given all this, you want a mask that means business when it comes to blocking viral particles. Unlike cloth masks, N95, KN95 and KF94 respirators are all made out of material with an electrostatic charge, which “actually pulls these particles in as they’re floating around and prevents you from inhaling those particles,” Karan notes. “And that really is key” — because if you don’t inhale virus particles, they can’t multiply in your respiratory tract.
The material in surgical masks also has an electrostatic charge. But surgical masks tend to fit loosely, and a snug fit — with no gaps around nose, cheeks or chin — “really makes a big difference,” says Marr, who has studied mask efficacy.
Omicron may be more transmittable, but, it is also way less dangerous, way less deadly, than previous variants, especially Delta. But, we already knew that cloth masks had around a 10% effectiveness rate at stopping any version last year. Now they want everyone to wear higher end masks, which are not in abundance. All while few areas and states are requiring masks. It is very weird being in NJ and there is no mask mandate, most people are walking around without one in stores.
Wachter says he’s also covering up indoors with small groups of friends and family unless everyone is vaccinated and boosted. If they’re not boosted, he says, “I consider them to be somewhere between vaccinated and unvaccinated, and I act appropriately if I’m going to be around them.” That means he either has everyone mask up, or he has everyone take a rapid test to make sure no one is infectious at that moment. “One or the other.” This is especially important if anyone attending is high-risk.
And then it’ll be “if you haven’t had a second booster, you’re somewhere between vaccinated and unvaccinated.
Marr says that with omicron surging, she’d have kids wear respirators if possible when they’re indoors in public spaces. Parents searching for good respirator options for their children can check out the work of Aaron Collins, aka “Mask Nerd,” a mechanical engineer with a background in aerosol science. He’s been testing the filtration efficiencies of hundreds of masks and respirators on the market. You can find his reviews on his YouTube channel. (This spreadsheet on kids’ masks may also be helpful.)
And they want to drag kids into their mask hysteria.
I believe that, in Old Blighty, it’s called a borchester shot.
Does everyone see this for what it actually is?
More fear-mongering by leftists to lock down the world so they can get their agenda put in place which is worldwide communism.
Scare, Scare, Scare….Scare, scare them senseless is the left’s rallying cry.
Now kids should be wearing respirators. I am currently sitting at home with the Omicron variant of Covid. It’s a mild cold, folk. I have a sore throat, a little congestion, no fever, no aches and pains, I can breathe fine and I am not barfing or feeling sorry for myself.
I made the mistake of going to Texas for Xmas. Four of us all caught Omicron and not one of us have more than the sniffles. Ages 22-67. We are however vaccinated, but we all understand now that the vaccine does not prevent covid. Even the leftists have shifted from that mantra to now it prevents you from dying.
I would probably agree with that and so far with a vaccine and a booster, I have not grown any horns yet. But everyone’s different and seriously I don’t understand the vax hesitancy other than to make a statement and if that’s your gig, more power to you since vaccines ain’t gonna stop you from getting it or spreading it any more than having a vax will.
However, that being said look into the Novavax Vaccine that should be hitting the market very soon. It is very promising and it uses the old reliable means of vaccination and has undergone 2 years of trials before hitting the market. That is if the Pfizer bought and paid for FDA will allow Novavax on to the market.
[…] We’re now being told that cloth face masks are ineffective anyway, so the face mask requirements, which Kentuckians have naturally seen as ineffective anyway, are ridiculous. […]