this post was submitted on 13 Mar 2024
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Science Memes

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submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[โ€“] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

The messaging could have been clearer but I'll spell it out for the dumb.

Phase 1:

Don't panic buy medical supplies expecting them to protect you. We don't have enough, and frontline healthcare workers need them to protect themselves and others, you don't know how to wear them and they probably don't fit you properly.

Phase 2:

We still don't really have enough medical grade masks but just fyi: any sort of mouth covering will reduce the risk of a contagious person sneezing into the mouth of a vulnerable person. If you have to go out, please wear something over your face. Cotton is better than nothing.

Phase 3:

A tight fitting mask really is best, it limits a contagious person's generation of aerosolized clouds of viruses, and limits a vulnerable person's exposure to clouds of aerosolized viruses.

[โ€“] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago

The problem with messages 1 and 2 is that too many people will not give a shit about other people, and will also assume they can put a mask on correctly. If your goal is to prevent panic buying and hoarding long enough to build an adequate stockpile for medical workers, you probably want to avoid anything that makes those supplies sound superior and valuable.

If I were crafting such a message, I'd say something like this:

"At this time we aren't recommending the use of disposable masks by the general public. For now, those who will be wearing a mask should wear one that's made of tight knit, layered cloth, with a fit that fully encloses the nose and mouth. Cloth masks can be cleaned and reused, and will be easier for most people to wear properly, especially when worn for extended periods of time.

These guidelines reflect our current understanding and will be updated as we learn more."