Masks lead to herd immunity?

ora_43

Tue, Aug 11 2020, 3:45 am

This is pretty cool, and will be awesome if it's true:

Masks Do More Than Protect Others During COVID-19

The basic idea: the researchers looked at mass exposure to covid-19, and found that in situations where people were wearing masks, more of the cases were asymptomatic. Like, when nobody wore a mask, 15% of cases were asymptomatic; when everyone did, it was more like 45%, sometimes up to 95% (!). The theory is that people wearing masks get exposed to a lower viral load, and so get a milder form of the sickness.

They suggest that if people keep wearing masks, we could get to herd immunity much more easily/painlessly than previously thought.

Simple1

Tue, Aug 11 2020, 8:16 am

I didn't read the link. But if I'm understanding correctly, it seems you're saying that you'll get it anyway with the masks, just a lower viral load? And according to this logic, you would agree that the NY area possibly reached herd immunity - except they just did it more painfully?

southernbubby

Tue, Aug 11 2020, 8:24 am

Many of us also may have been protected by recent vaccines for other diseases or because we had colds immediately prior to exposure to Covid. My question is how long does this grant protection? In nearly every family that had the virus, there was someone who didn't have a single symptom and others who were iffy. Are these people immune and if so, how?

FranticFrummie

Tue, Aug 11 2020, 8:27 am

I don't think masks = herd immunity, because we still don't know how long antibodies last, and it probably varies from person to person as well.

On the other hand, masks reducing the viral load and causing milder symptoms makes some kind of sense. The people who were the very sickest, seem to have caught it in the very first edge of the epidemic, when nobody really was aware yet.

I got it a full week and a half before Purim, and Magen David told me "It's probably just a flu, you're safe to go out. We're only testing people who are admitted to the hospital."

It's a good thing my body was telling me that this was not a normal flu, and that I isolated myself until I was at least 2 weeks past the last of my symptoms. (We're talking 3 full months total!)

If I had listened to the "experts" back then, I could have infected hundreds of people, just by riding the bus and doing grocery shopping. It's also a good thing that I was too sick to get off the sofa for the first 2 months.

At the time that I first became ill, I was taking 2 buses each way to work and back, and I was the nanny for 3 school age kids. Can you imagine if the kids got it and spread it around each of their grades, the student's parents, the teachers, the teacher's family...

It's pretty staggering when you think about it. Yeah, I'm going to keep wearing a mask. If my antibodies fail, I REALLY do not want to go through this level of illness again.

southernbubby

Tue, Aug 11 2020, 8:52 am

Frummie, this is why I don't think that it's smart for the frum community to declare that it's safe to resume normal life and to ostracize anyone who still wears a mask. Everyday we learn something new about the virus. The last worldwide pandemic lasted over 2 years. Why are we in such a rush to stop using safety measures? Why are we labeling cautious people as panic stricken fear mongerers?
I feel bad to have to shop in non-Jewish stores but if I need something in the middle of the day, as opposed to 7a.m., I feel safer in Home Depot. I may be just as safe in a frum store where I am the only one in a mask but #1 I feel conspicuous and out of place and #2 there is always the slight possibility that someone there is infected but is not doing anything about it.

ora_43

Tue, Aug 11 2020, 9:19 am

amother [ Denim ] wrote:

I'd be for it on the condition that once having antibodies you could get a pass and stop wearing the mask. I'm never going to be down with wearing a mask indefinitely.

It's not a proposal, more like an interesting note on a possible second positive effect to masks.

The idea would be to have masks until there's a vaccine and/or a high level of immunity.

ora_43

Tue, Aug 11 2020, 9:21 am

Simple1 wrote:

The idea is that if someone gets it despite wearing a mask, they may get a lower viral load. It's also possible that the mask will protect them completely and they won't get it at all.

I don't think this says anything about NYC either way. The question of what level of immunity = herd immunity is still open.

FranticFrummie

Tue, Aug 11 2020, 9:27 am

southernbubby wrote:

Why are we in such a rush to stop using safety measures?

Because masks are DARN uncomfortable, even for people who are used to them. Especially in the summer, they are hot and sweaty and steamy/humid. Even if you get them in cute colors and patterns, it still doesn't make it much better. Given the choice, I doubt anyone outside of a country with horrible pollution would choose to wear a mask.

Social distancing is hard. I love smiling at people, and I love giving and getting hugs. Even a pat on the shoulder is nice.

Kids want to play on the park equipment, and wrestle with their friends.

There's a million reasons to WANT to stop using safety measures, but more importantly there are some excellent reasons to KEEP using safety measures, and those override the inconvenience.

Annoyed today, alive tomorrow. It doesn't seem very controversial to me. 😷

southernbubby

Tue, Aug 11 2020, 9:38 am

FranticFrummie wrote:

Unfortunately it's also party affiliation.

PinkFridge

Tue, Aug 11 2020, 11:05 am

southernbubby wrote:

Yes! I am bothered by some of the pictures in the frum periodicals, but then again, I just saw a gentile neighbor shaking hands with someone checking out a car, and was at a park where there was a large extended family gathering (not frum, have no idea what ethnicity) and people weren't masking or SD either.
I really feel that it's not over till it's over. At least we have to act that way.