Cons: Every single one of these is false, especially the face touching part.
Folks, this is what I'm talking about so let's do this by the numbers.
>You need to touch your face more often which increases the risk
You touch your face less (read: zero) when in environments in which you're wearing the mask. And if you're wearing it in public places that's enormously important, since that is where you will get the virus.
>Mask becomes humid after a while which is great eniviroment for the virus.
The micro-environment of "your mouth and nose" is not going to breed any more virus than the environment around you that wants to inject the virus into your mouth and nose.
>False sense of security - people engaging in risky behavoiur
[citation needed]
>Not enough masks for hospitals
And if we'd stopped lying about masks being effective back in early February perhaps we'd have enough of them by now. So let's stop lying about it now to make sure we have enough by May.
>You touch your face less (read: zero) when in environments in which you're wearing the mask.
That is factually incorrect. Im in Japan right now where vast majority wear masks. People touch face when they want to smoke - because of the mask. When you talk for a bit you have to adjust the mask. Ive seen people scraching there face through the mask. Take it off to talk on the phone. Not a single person takes it off correctly - they just grab by the centre. Why? Maybe they dont know any better or they think its ok because they have a mask.
>The micro-environment of "your mouth and nose" is not going to breed any more virus than the environment
Thats not the risk model. Virus stays longer in humid enviroment, which meas that masks becomes a more potent vector. Yoxu touch it, leave it on the desk. People reuse their masks, since there is a shortage.
False sense of security - people engaging in risky behavoiur. Highest number of deaths on roads happen when conditions are perfect. People drive faster because the road is dry and visibility is good.
Japan is doing better than every single country who has had more than 10 deaths this far into Japan’s outbreak.
In fact, when you look at all nations with at least 10 deaths, regardless of when their outbreak started, only Canada has fewer deaths than Japan. And Canada’s death count is on track to surpass Japan’s in just a few days. So frankly whatever the Japanese are doing, they’re doing it better than anyone else with an outbreak, and that includes the GROSS sum of all of the behaviors you have described.
Of course I must list the countries who have had coronavirus in their country for a while now but still have fewer than 10 deaths: Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong
One thing these countries have in common with Japan? Face masks.
I've spent plenty of time in Japan and East Asia. I've seen that behavior, sure, but I'm not going to use the exception of some people not using proper mask protocol 100% of the time to argue that masks are useless or no help (to be clear I don't think you're doing this, but without context it comes across this way to the casual reader which is the problem).
It may also signal to other people to keep their distance from me.
> False sense of security - people engaging in risky behavoiur
I dont see people with masks being closer to each other then people without masks.
May reduce panic/stress?
Cons
You need to touch your face more often which increases the risk
Mask becomes humid after a while which is great eniviroment for the virus.
False sense of security - people engaging in risky behavoiur
Not enough masks for hospitals
Its very likely they benefits outweigh the costs