The post has its science wrong, as people wearing cloth masks are not in danger of breathing in too much carbon dioxide. It also refers to an OSHA regulation that the benefits of facial masks can only be realized when most people wear them, known as universal mask use. In the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. public health officials discouraged people from wearing face masks and suggested N-95 respirators to filter the virus from the air.
Mases have long been known to be effective means of source control, preventing a sick patient from spreading a disease to others. However, public health guidance around masks has changed due to scientific understanding. The Department of Energy and the FBI believe the virus likely emerged from a lab rather than a wet market, but four other agencies and the National Intelligence Council have come to the other side.
As conspiracy theories about COVID-19 take root in the United States, understanding the psychological foundations of conspiracy beliefs is increasingly critical. The phrase “according to fact-checkers” now means “don’t believe your lying eyes, biased reporters warn”. Covid vaccine and mask conspiracies succeed when they appeal to identity and ideology.
A new UK study by King’s College London and Ipsos MORI finds that while people are getting used to wearing masks, they have been a source of tension for some. Belief in conspiracy theories can be damaging, so we must resist and engage with those who deny the facts where possible. A new study by the Annenberg Public Policy Center investigates the relationship between those who believe in COVID-19 and the volume of tweets against mask-wearing.
📹 Face Masks Can Damage Your Health According to Conspiracy Theorists… Sorry What? – TLDR News
Despite the scientific and medical advice, some still seem sceptical about the idea of wearing a face mask. The rationale changes …
📹 Is the Anti-Mask Movement a Conspiracy Theory?
Greenhalgh, T., Schmid, M. B., Czypionka, T., Bassler, D., & Gruer, L.. Face masks for the public during the covid-19 crisis.
Here’s the fatal flaw of that study. It doesn’t account for touching a contaminated mask. Studies suggest that having non-scrubbed staff inside the operating room wearing masks increases the risk of post-surgery infection rates, suggesting a contaminated object in a sterile room renders it non-sterile. We can assume a contaminated object in a non-sterile environment can result in spread through contamination, instead of directly through respiratory droplets. Also, masks have a poor history. The Islamic faith didn’t begin with facial coverings, they learned that by hiding a person’s identity, it could strip away their identity. Thus, the requirement for women to wear facial coverings was born. This has gotten political, and as with everything that becomes political, one side always tries to strip away the freedom to choose. Wear a mask or don’t, it’s entirely your decision. It’s not anyone’s decision to make for you.