Living in cities is weird from evolutionary viewpoint.
What pathogens will be slowed by masks? How do we balance that with the inevitable reality that masks will get moist and dirty and harbor pathogenic microorganisms in close proximity with children’s faces? Do you have any studies that masks help more than hurt with any pathogen besides covid.
I don’t have any studies, but given that masks were in widespread usage by medical personal and in Asia before COVID my strong prior is that they significantly reduce the spread of some pathogens. I’m not claiming that kids should wear masks, I’m claiming that there is a lot we don’t know about masks and the harm pathogens inflict on kids and it is possible that if we knew more many reasonable people would want kids to wear masks while in school.
Medical personnel work in close proximity to obviously sick patients and particularly surgeons work close to open wounds. None of the medical professionals are children, they are trained to use their PPE and take care of it. Mask use in Asia may have more to do with protection from particular air pollution. There is no evidence that people in Asia are less susceptible to pathogens.
Pre-COVID, Asian students in my classes sometimes wore masks, presumably when they were sick and didn’t want to spread infection. We could train kids to use masks, it’s not that complicated. “No evidence” means we should generate evidence because of the massive amount of harm that pathogens cause, probably more than its generally realized because of their possible role in causing some cancers and lower some IQ scores.
Living in cities is weird from evolutionary viewpoint.
What pathogens will be slowed by masks? How do we balance that with the inevitable reality that masks will get moist and dirty and harbor pathogenic microorganisms in close proximity with children’s faces? Do you have any studies that masks help more than hurt with any pathogen besides covid.
I don’t have any studies, but given that masks were in widespread usage by medical personal and in Asia before COVID my strong prior is that they significantly reduce the spread of some pathogens. I’m not claiming that kids should wear masks, I’m claiming that there is a lot we don’t know about masks and the harm pathogens inflict on kids and it is possible that if we knew more many reasonable people would want kids to wear masks while in school.
Medical personnel work in close proximity to obviously sick patients and particularly surgeons work close to open wounds. None of the medical professionals are children, they are trained to use their PPE and take care of it. Mask use in Asia may have more to do with protection from particular air pollution. There is no evidence that people in Asia are less susceptible to pathogens.
Pre-COVID, Asian students in my classes sometimes wore masks, presumably when they were sick and didn’t want to spread infection. We could train kids to use masks, it’s not that complicated. “No evidence” means we should generate evidence because of the massive amount of harm that pathogens cause, probably more than its generally realized because of their possible role in causing some cancers and lower some IQ scores.