Handwashing is not 100% effective either.

In combination with hand washing, social distancing, and general hygiene, face masks help further reduce the risk of infecting oneself, and inadvertently infecting others (if one is an asymptomatic carrier).

The evidence is in countries that have social norms for wearing masks (as opposed to the USA which promotes the social norm NOT to wear a mask). Hong Kong, for example, has very low infection rates despite being right next to mainland China, and a porous border where numerous Chinese enter it daily. Taiwan, Japan, and even Korea, have kept the infections and deaths well under control. They also have ample experience fighting off SARS in 2003. All these places admonish people who don't wear masks. Some even have laws to make it mandatory to wear a mask.

That's more than enough real world evidence to show the efficacy of wearing masks.

If the authorities want to send the message that "wearing a mask is effective at protecting you, but we have a shortage, so you can decide to increase your risk while giving the masks to medical workers" then I am all in support of that statement. People should volunteer to offer up their own protection to protect others. This is altruism.

But it is disingenuous to give the impression to Americans that wearing a mask is just not effective. This is not altruism. It is deception.

It's naive to assign causation where there are more relevant variables at play other than a "social norm" of wearing masks.

Maybe it was Hong Kong's early adoption of sheltering in the home and disinfecting everything and everybody at an early stage than just wearing masks.

As a mysterious virus raced through Wuhan, China, 570 miles to the north, residents in Hong Kong acted on instinct.
They swaddled their faces in paper-thin masks and slathered on sanitizer, even on strangers, and obediently sheltered
indoors, some doing so before their government closed schools and universities and offices sent workers home. The new
coronavirus seemed to be contained by early March, with case numbers nearly flat and just four deaths, this despite a
shared border with mainland China and infections racing through South Korea, Japan, and Europe.

Epidemiologists and journalists lauded the Chinese territory for controlling the spread, and Hong Kongers emerged
from their tiny apartments to resume life. They headed back to work and the gym, even dined out for noodles and
dim sum, as they welcomed home residents and students who had been stuck overseas.

With most everyone’s guard down, the predator lashed back last week. Cases of Covid-19 surged.

Hong Kong logged a daily record of 48 new infections Saturday as travelers returned home, and as of Wednesday,
the city of 7.4 million had reported more than 400 cases. This week, the government ordered all residents back home,
and closed public sports facilities, museums, and libraries that had just reopened. What’s more, the city stopped
admitting visitors for two weeks. As an extra measure against socializing, the government demanded that bars stop
serving alcohol.

https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/26/coronavirus-hong-kong-resurgenece-holds-lesson-defeating-it-demands-persistence/

So, what changed?  Did they stop wearing their masks, or did they stop isolating themselves (a form of social distancing)?  I doubt their "social norm" was abandoned.

Hmmm.....

so if we wear masks will the range open?

so if we wear masks will the range open?

Nope.  Nobody wants a bunch of people with loaded firearms running around wearing masks!   

 

Alright, back to topic.

All the facts about masks were presented.