That whole idea is totally new, untested and probably nonsense given that it appears the virus spreads just fine even when people wear masks (as this study indicates).

Unless you're going to argue that nobody should ever be in a room without permanently wearing and disposing of a constant streams of masks ever again (not gonna happen), you're going to get the virus at some point. Therefore, as hospital overload never happened there's no real point to any of this.

Sure, but being able to say that the mask protects you too will appeal to some people. If people's reasons are selfish but the outcome is the same it's fine with me... I do suspect that it protects the wearer as well though.

I don't know why that was even in serious question unless the only transmission method was putting your fingers in your mouth or something. Of course more filtering will be better.

It's a serious question because theoretically a mask can trap viral particles for later introduction into your membranes, instead of them just passing by in the air.

I've heard that, but where do these viral particles come from? The mask wearer? If so, that's the goal isn't it? And if it's from outside and gets trapped in the fabric... isn't that also a win?

The arguments against wearing a mask have always been weak, the arguments for wearing a mask didn't start so strong but were well established in March/April. Anyone arguing against them after that point was either parroting stuff they heard without understanding, or was making disingenuous arguments that have contributed to a lot of misery and death for no benefit.

I don't think I heard anyone with actual medical training suggest that wearing a mask might be worse than nothing -- except for one scenario, that it might cause a false sense of security. Never once have I heard another reason from someone with actual medical training for why masks might make things worse, at least when it comes to COVID.

People are a lot more willing to do something that also benefits them.

Especially when there are many others who are non-compliant - otherwise you get "why should I protect you when you refuse to protect me".

Do you have a citation for that? Is there any actual evidence to support that idea?

This meta-analysis suggests that masks are effective for both healthcare workers and not healthcare workers on a population level.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S147789392...