Today is mask day in England. People are talking about it. Shopkeepers are saying they may not enforce it. Police are saying they can only enforce it if shopkeepers ask (because it is private property).
In the USA the use or not of masks seemed to me to be becoming almost a religious belief.
There are a number of “scientific” studies to try to prove things one way or another. I have been less than impressed by some of them. It is true, in a sealed room with 20 people there would be an increased amount of virus in the air after 20 minutes. Personally I don’t often stand in sealed rooms with 20 people – you sort of suffocate.
Truth is there are pros and cons. The biggest problem seems to be the people. Wearing masks needs people to use them properly, and a lot of people have problems with that (just watch F1 and see how many times people touch their masks when being interviewed).
If somebody is in an enclosed space and has the virus the air will normally be 99% cleared within an hour. Rooms are often not as sealed as you might think. On top of that there is the benefit of social distancing.
So do masks work? Well, actually we need more data, and the best way to get that data is to give it a try (because that includes the mask effectiveness and the effectiveness of the person wearing it). But it isn’t as effective as social distancing!
On top of this wearing masks helps people that are nervous to get out and face the world.
But the truth that I have seen coming out is something a lot more painful. There are people that refuse to wear masks. Why? At best they will help save lives, at worst they will hide their face. But there seems that proving a point is more important than trying to help others.