Interesting idea to change the unit of analysis beyond individuals. Since masks are an intervention an individual must wear, how would you see that working practically?
Interesting idea to change the unit of analysis beyond individuals. Since masks are an intervention an individual must wear, how would you see that working practically?
My point is that masking in a pandemic setting may not have worked because the infection may have come at home from the rest of the family, unless they were also masking.
We have seen a very clear difference in the incidence of covid in countries which diligently followed universal masking like Vietnam or Thailand, compared to the west. How else does one explain the difference? It did work practically then. It wouldn't work practically now because it is no longer a pandemic setting, but an endemic setting.
Essentially, if another similar pandemic comes later, universal masking is an answer, unlike the conclusion of the Cochrane review.
Ah, makes sense, thanks! I think the point you make about the different efficacy of masks in a pandemic setting (where nearly everyone is immunologically naive) vs endemic setting is a really important one and not one fully addressed in the Cochrane review or by those arguing that the whole masks issue is settled science.
Interesting idea to change the unit of analysis beyond individuals. Since masks are an intervention an individual must wear, how would you see that working practically?
My point is that masking in a pandemic setting may not have worked because the infection may have come at home from the rest of the family, unless they were also masking.
We have seen a very clear difference in the incidence of covid in countries which diligently followed universal masking like Vietnam or Thailand, compared to the west. How else does one explain the difference? It did work practically then. It wouldn't work practically now because it is no longer a pandemic setting, but an endemic setting.
Essentially, if another similar pandemic comes later, universal masking is an answer, unlike the conclusion of the Cochrane review.
Ah, makes sense, thanks! I think the point you make about the different efficacy of masks in a pandemic setting (where nearly everyone is immunologically naive) vs endemic setting is a really important one and not one fully addressed in the Cochrane review or by those arguing that the whole masks issue is settled science.