Why mask if test negative?

amother

Tue, Feb 09 2021, 12:21 pm

Why the need to wear masks wherever negative tests are required?
For example if getting onto a flight to the US, or like they’re planning to enforce now, even on domestic flights, why are masks still necessary on those flights?

NotInNJMommy

Tue, Feb 09 2021, 12:26 pm

One could become sick after their test but not yet show symptoms...I know someone who tested negative when her dh and ds came down with symptoms (they all basically tested at the same time). Her result came back negative while theirs came back positive, but 1-2 days after she was tested, she came down with symptoms. It was clear she had COVID and she got another test as her symptoms subsided that confirmed positive. So, in her case, she tested before symptoms and before her infection was developed enough to show as positive. But she likely would have been increasingly contagious before her symptoms appeared--sometime after her test and before onset of symptoms.

amother

Tue, Feb 09 2021, 12:29 pm

But now I’m confused.
Because anyone can test positive at any time, even a day after a negative test.
So are masks so foolproof that we rely on them in case of an unknown positive ?
If they are so foolproof, then why the need to test.
If they’re not, then why use them?
It’s not adding up to me but everyone else seems to understand.

gdgirl

Tue, Feb 09 2021, 12:32 pm

Nothing adds up. It all comes down to taking precautions. I think most would agree, things just don't make sense the days. That's a pretty good a sign that G-d runs the world!

amother

Magenta

Tue, Feb 09 2021, 12:33 pm

Nobody says or believes that masks are foolproof. They only reduce risk of spread. They don't eliminate it. If someone is known to be positive, they shouldn't go anywhere, even masked.

If someone is believed to be negative, they should still wear a mask because (1) they may turn out to be positive and in that case at least their ability to spread will have been reduced and (2) they may be negative but exposed to someone positive and in that case the masking of both people will reduce the probability of the first person being infected.

NotInNJMommy

Tue, Feb 09 2021, 12:36 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

nothings foolproof.

Both masks/SD and testing reduce risk by managing impact of transmission/severity of transmission by those who don't know they may be sick (masks/SD) and reducing likelihood that someone is sick but doesn't realize it yet (testing).

It's a risk management tool. There are costs/benefits. Nothing is 100%.

amother

Magenta

Tue, Feb 09 2021, 12:37 pm

The metaphor that is used a lot is "layers of Swiss cheese." Each slice of Swiss cheese has several holes in it. But if you lay multiple slices over each other, then you are likely (though not 100% guaranteed) to have a solid wall of cheese because the holes won't be in the same places.

Layers of Swiss cheese for COVID (n/a to people who are known to be positive):
- check for symptoms
- check temperature
- negative test
- mask
- social distance of 6+ feet
- wash hands

Every layer has holes, but if you combine multiple layers, hopefully you will be in good shape.

amother

Yellow

Tue, Feb 09 2021, 12:40 pm

A negative test just means at the time the test was taken you were negative. Doesn’t mean after that it’s still true. That’s why one needs to stay in quarantine for all the days not just if he gets a negative test.

amother

Tue, Feb 09 2021, 1:31 pm

amother [ Yellow ] wrote:

So a negative test 48 before a flight is meaningless. So why is it becoming mandatory?

NotInNJMommy

Tue, Feb 09 2021, 1:32 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

So a negative test 48 before a flight is meaningless. So why is it becoming mandatory?

It's not meaningless. It does reduce some likelihood that a sick person (who doesn't realize they are sick) will show up at the airport and board a plane.

It does not reduce the risk enough to justify not using other protocols (masks/SD).

agreer

Tue, Feb 09 2021, 1:40 pm

miami85 wrote:

What part of any other rules run by logic?I call this "Schroedinger's Virus"

I do too!!!

Are you a big fan of TBBT?