Savvy Trades and Investments

[Bobwins]

OT Viewed a couple of videos over the weekend on the effectiveness of masks. The best was an interview with the head guy in Korea. He said there is no doubt that masks help limit the spread, otherwise why would medical personnel wear them. Mentioned that US CDC head cautioned against the need for civilians to wear masks because there was a shortage for medical personnel.

BUT masks limit the spread, especially because a significant minority of patients have CV-19 and don't realize it. If the whole population is wearing masks, these non symptomatic victims can't spread it as easily if they are wearing masks. Likewise people at risk can't catch it as easily if wearing masks. In Asia, masks wearing is widespread and Korea appears to have gotten control. In Eastern Europe, there was a country that had citizens use primitive things like scarves to control the spread. The primitive masks also help prevent people from touching their face. limiting the transfer of the virus to their hands.

In the US, we poo poo the masks. A tiny minority are wearing masks. I think that's a mistake. I think the US is a prime candidate for the reappearance of the virus, even if it peaks soon.

Distancing helps but I think masks are the missing part of the puzzle for the US. We are not good at tracking down victims and their contacts and isolating them. We are way behind in providing protective equipment to medical personnel and masks for the general public. I don't think we need N95 masks for everyone. We just need almost universal mask wearing to limit transmission via air but more important limiting the transfer of the virus to hands and then to doorknobs, keypads,etc.

The irony is that the CDC said that we don't need masks because Americans raided existing supplies and are hoarding them. BUT they aren't using the damn masks they are hoarding!!! Simple behaviors can flatten the curve. Remember every picture from China, Korea, Hong Kong that showed people. They were all wearing masks. Compare that to pictures of the idiots at Spring Break. Not a mask in sight.