Read on Twitter
Supposedly broad-thinking people are decidedly zero dimensional on face masks.
Here are some questions everyone needs to ask about face masks.
<thread>
Here are some questions everyone needs to ask about face masks.
<thread>
1 ASYMPTOMATICS
Are asymptomatics major contributors of transmission?
If not, then at most those with symptoms should wear face masks, to protect others.
Are asymptomatics major contributors of transmission?
If not, then at most those with symptoms should wear face masks, to protect others.
2 INSIDE/OUTSIDE
Is transmission important outdoors?
If not, then face masks are for indoors, or for the rare high-density outdoor event.
Is transmission important outdoors?
If not, then face masks are for indoors, or for the rare high-density outdoor event.
3 SEASONALITY
Is there seasonality?
If so, then face masks aren’t needed out of season.
Is there seasonality?
If so, then face masks aren’t needed out of season.
4 CHAIN LINK FENCE MOSQUITO NETS
Do face masks actually slow viral transmission?
This seems to be the main question folks ask, and the evidence is very weak. Weak evidence in medicine often means it’s actually no effect.
Do face masks actually slow viral transmission?
This seems to be the main question folks ask, and the evidence is very weak. Weak evidence in medicine often means it’s actually no effect.
5 BANDITS
Do the face masks folks actually use (scarves, cheap ones, etc) do anything?
If not, then don’t let everyone pretend they’re doing something useful by assuming the “bandit” look.
Do the face masks folks actually use (scarves, cheap ones, etc) do anything?
If not, then don’t let everyone pretend they’re doing something useful by assuming the “bandit” look.
6 USERS
Do real people in real life even use masks properly, or do they end up, e.g., constantly letting their nose out to breathe, and undoing the purported advantages?
If not, then it’s simply not effective.
Do real people in real life even use masks properly, or do they end up, e.g., constantly letting their nose out to breathe, and undoing the purported advantages?
If not, then it’s simply not effective.
7 TOUCHING
Do people wearing masks tend to touch their face more, more than undoing the purported benefits?
If so, then folks are needlessly being put at risk even though they feel safer.
Do people wearing masks tend to touch their face more, more than undoing the purported benefits?
If so, then folks are needlessly being put at risk even though they feel safer.
8 PEOPLE vs MEDICAL PERSONNEL
Have face masks lowered transmission in hospitals and nursing homes?
If not, then they’re unlikely to work on regular folk out and about.
Have face masks lowered transmission in hospitals and nursing homes?
If not, then they’re unlikely to work on regular folk out and about.
9 HEALTH RISKS
Are there health risks, like poor O2, bacterial growth on masks?
If so, then the utility calculus can’t simply consider risks of viral transmission.
Are there health risks, like poor O2, bacterial growth on masks?
If so, then the utility calculus can’t simply consider risks of viral transmission.
10 PROPORTION
Are the COVID risks disproportionate relative to other seasonal colds?
If not, then there is no justification for face masks, unless the claim is that we should have been wearing them all along.
Are the COVID risks disproportionate relative to other seasonal colds?
If not, then there is no justification for face masks, unless the claim is that we should have been wearing them all along.
11 GARBLE
Are there costs to our lowered ability to talk to each other?
We may not have evolved to have language (see my book HARNESSED), but it’s central to who we are today. Face masks garble speech, and prevent us from seeing the mouth and lips.
Are there costs to our lowered ability to talk to each other?
We may not have evolved to have language (see my book HARNESSED), but it’s central to who we are today. Face masks garble speech, and prevent us from seeing the mouth and lips.
12 IDENTITY
Are there costs to the loss of human identity?
Humans are deeply social creatures, and society is held together by virtue of a network of human identities, identities that depend on our faces and our brilliant recognition systems for them.
Are there costs to the loss of human identity?
Humans are deeply social creatures, and society is held together by virtue of a network of human identities, identities that depend on our faces and our brilliant recognition systems for them.
13 EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION
Are there costs to losing the ability to emotionally express?
Our emotional expressions undergird our social relationships. It’s the topic of my next book, tentatively titled THE FIRST LANGUAGE: Negotiating the Origins of Emotional Expressions.
Are there costs to losing the ability to emotionally express?
Our emotional expressions undergird our social relationships. It’s the topic of my next book, tentatively titled THE FIRST LANGUAGE: Negotiating the Origins of Emotional Expressions.
SAFETY CULTURAL REVOLUTION
Fear from the looming COVID wave in March brought hysteria world-wide, ushering in a religious-like cultural revolution. It is not rationality based, but has all the hallmarks of cultural revolutions like China’s and Iran’s. https://twitter.com/MarkChangizi/status/1239995212572876802?s=20
Fear from the looming COVID wave in March brought hysteria world-wide, ushering in a religious-like cultural revolution. It is not rationality based, but has all the hallmarks of cultural revolutions like China’s and Iran’s. https://twitter.com/MarkChangizi/status/1239995212572876802?s=20
LOCKDOWNS
Lockdowns were a devastating consequence of this revolution.
https://twitter.com/MarkChangizi/status/1254796958964858882?s=20
But it may not be the worst part, which is the “new normal” by virtue of cultural evolution.
Lockdowns were a devastating consequence of this revolution.
https://twitter.com/MarkChangizi/status/1254796958964858882?s=20
But it may not be the worst part, which is the “new normal” by virtue of cultural evolution.
End of main thread. Some related tweets follow...
Several people have pointed out the disproportionate social effects on the deaf, who rely entirely on lip-reading and facial expressions to comprehend others.
With face masks the deaf are cut loose from the social network.
With face masks the deaf are cut loose from the social network.
And I somehow forgot to mention the issue of whether slowing the spread (supposing it actually does) is itself even good. https://twitter.com/RyanKemper10/status/1278426928765165570?s=20
Ventriloquists!
They are the first to lose with face masks, because if everyone is good at it, no one is.
They are the first to lose with face masks, because if everyone is good at it, no one is.
"The evidence of the benefit of using a face covering to protect others is weak and the effect is likely to be small."
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5eb96e8e86650c278b077616/Keeping-workers-and-customers-safe-during-covid-19-restaurants-pubs-bars-takeaways-230620.pdf
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5eb96e8e86650c278b077616/Keeping-workers-and-customers-safe-during-covid-19-restaurants-pubs-bars-takeaways-230620.pdf
Great little paper arguing against the idea that the precautionary principle says we should wear masks. https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1435/rr-40
