News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on Miscalculation at every level left U.S. unequipped to fight coronavirus. Parent comment

Re:Miscalculation at every level left U.S. unequipped to fig... by Consultant32452 on Thursday April 30, 2020 @01:30AM (#23027733)
The surgeon general disagrees with this claim. He claims that the masks do protect the healthcare workers. You can see the claim in this tweet, where he also claims that the masks don't protect you.

https://twitter.com/Surgeon_General/status/12337257852839321...

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Miscalculation at every level left U.S. unequipped to fig... by DrScump on Thursday April 30, 2020 @03:15AM (#23028270) 

  the masks do protect the healthcare workers
Because properly equipped healthcare workers are also wearing eye protection. SARS-CoV-2 will quite happily enter at the eyes; in fact, eyes are a bigger attack surface than nostrils.

With respect to protection from SARS coronaviruses, wearing just a mask and no eye protection is like a hockey goalie wearing a helmet but no mask.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Miscalculation at every level left U.S. unequipped to fig... by MagnumOpus on Thursday April 30, 2020 @03:44AM (#23028451)
> like a hockey goalie wearing a helmet but no mask.

An apt comparison -- a damage reduction by 66% using only a fabric mask is massively worse than a damage reduction by 95% using proper PPE and procedures. In fact, it leaves you 7 times more likely to get infected (get hurt by a puck). But if anyone tried to sell the NHL-watching public the line that "helmets don't help", they would be rightfully humiliated in public.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Miscalculation at every level left U.S. unequipped to fig... by loopz on Thursday April 30, 2020 @04:04AM (#23028579)
For a helmet to help, it needs to be fit for purpose, otherwise they're dangerous as people assume they provide safety.

When found, copy-cat masks are destroyed at border control, as they also don't provide the benefits to contain contagion.

[ Parent | on HN ]