The problem with severe COVID, as I understand it, is an immune system that did nothing until it was too late, at which point it overreacts and releases a cytokine storm.
The hamster study did not show a big difference in outcome with higher viral load, contrary to what the article suggests.
If you trust in the science of conservation of energy you can release a iron ball on a pendulum from your nose and stand there waiting for the return, without taking a step back.
If you trust in the science of viral load not mattering, you will pick randomly when given the choice of having 1 or 5 novel viral particles placed in your nasal cavity. Nobody sane trusts that.
Yes, viral load is correlated with higher severity for majority of flu-like illnesses, supported by research. Even if this coronavirus is somehow different, combating viral load is still beneficial for avoiding viral viral co-infection (getting COVID-19 with severe influenza on top).
Re:Cloth masks do protect the wearer
by geocrasher on Monday August 31, 2020 @07:25PM
(#24336917)
This was my take on the article as well: Masks = lower initial viral load, which seems logical to me. And, this doctor isn't saying anything much past "Wear a mask, dummy!" which I'm perfectly fine with.
Think of it like this: I you get infected with 10 instead of 1.000.000 of a virus that grows x10 each day, your immune system has 5 extra days to fight it.
[Disclaimer: I'm a random software guy who reads a lot, not in any way a virus expert]