(05-12-2020, 02:52 PM)SYZ Wrote:(05-11-2020, 08:02 PM)brewerb Wrote: I just got back from the grocery store. I intentionally coughed (very loudly) around anyone without a mask...
The official Australian Government advice remains that you only need to wear a mask if you are sick with COVID-19
symptoms, or if you are looking after someone who may have COVID-19. If you are well, according to the Department
of Health, you do not need to wear a face mask. Face masks are used primarily by people in the community to prevent
sick people from spreading infection.
The proof of this?
Cases of infection in the US = 4,914 per million population—masks worn.
Deaths in US = 248 per million.
Cases of infection in Australia = 273 per million population—masks not worn.
Deaths in Australia = 4 per million.
On the other hand, the government of Taiwan sees benefits -- including real synergies -- for both groups to wear masks. Also, I think it helps focus people, it signifies to others "I'm adhering to social distancing / disinfection / etc, please respect that", it reminds people not to mindlessly touch their face, etc.
I think these kinds of intangible benefits are oft overlooked. They are just part of a whole set of strategies that work together.
Another thing these figures overlook is that the benefits of masks probably go way up during infection peaks. Below some threshold they probably don't make that much difference.
Perhaps most importantly, "masks (not) worn" is just one of countless variables to account for when comparing any two jurisdictions, so the comparison is basically meaningless. For example just to start out, the average population density per square KM is 31.3 for the US and 2.7 for Australia. Since Australia already has 10x the inherent social distancing, the need for additional measures will be less, at least outside of urban centers. I don't have figures for rates of international travel in and out of both countries but I'd bet they are pretty disparate, too, as well as consisting of a rather different mix of origins for inbound traffic.
Finally there's always of course the problem that we can't ethically (or practically) do A/B testing so we don't know whether deaths per million in the US would have been 500 or 2000 (or 50) without some other aspect of the steps taken here whether masks or shutting down restaurants and gyms or schools or social distancing.
