Please wear a mask when going out

[sundaymorningstaple]

If it only provides 25% protection IF the protocols are followed, e.g., maintaining social distancing, then talking 19" or 1/2 mtr apart increases the odds of getting infected by maybe 3x (looking at the UV light scan of actual coughing and talking loudly) so back up to 75%. Add to that, if you are exercising you will be breathing heavier pushing air out harder than talking indoors in a quiet atmosphere.Therefore the rise are probably more than doubled. So, if you are not going to heed the advice of the doctors and experts then you may as well don't bother to wear a mask at all as you are already endangering others with you inconsideration "if you don't need to be out in the first place", STAY AT HOME. If you MUST, obviously wear a mask but remember that you also need to practice social distancing else you raise the ante for everybody you get near or increase the odd for yourself. Running in the park and socializing on the bridge or having macan in the void deck with some kakis is NOT a Must.

[sundaymorningstaple]

It's not going to make any difference shortly because of people who cannot follow directions, it's going to be total lockdown in all probability. Although NEA and the authorities are going to start giving out $10,000 fines to those found ignoring the protocols.

x9200 Yeah, I can agree with you about ignorant expats as well. My son is finishing day 11 of a 14 day SHN thanks to a Dutchman who came into my son's barber shop on the 28th of March and 5 days later MOH called my son an issued him the SNH as the Dutchman & his Wife were both tested positive. Wife not in the shop, but his 2 sons were and the 2 sons tested negative, the other barber who cut one of the son's hair no issue but because my son cut the dutchman's hair, he ended up with the SHN. So far he's not showing any symptoms. Keeping my fingers crossed as his wife is home and about 5 or 6 weeks pregnant. Pretty tense at the moment as you can imagine. It's one of the reasons I don't have much patience with trolls.

[x9200]

@SMS, it requires some reasonable behaviour for sure, but if we assume completely idiotic conduct of somebody (including those advocating for the masks on this forum) then even staying at home won't help because, firstly, they won't stay at home, or will throw dirty tissues through the window (pretty common behavior) or even spit. But if we assume we are not talking about idiots, the masks still may help to reduce the risk of infection (if one really needs to go out) even with other people not wearing them.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/ ... care-of-it

Q Are the government-issued reusable masks effective?
A Dr Teo Tee Hui, council member of The Institution of Engineers Singapore and senior lecturer at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, said the reusable masks, which are made of cotton, provide between 50 and 60 per cent of filtration efficiency.

This is per single mask. If two people wear them, whatever comes out may be further reduced.

[sundaymorningstaple]

x9200, I'm in full agreement there. But having lived here for 37 years and watching the public constantly ignoring or using common sense (including using social distancing) then the efficacy of said masks if further reduced if inside of the 1 mtr distance. My original statement, for the vast majority of readers here, would have seen the sarcasm in my statement about not bothering to wear them, just stay home. In fact, the poster immediately following my original post caught it immediately. Only a troll would pick apart of sentence and try to bake a phrase, within a sentence, into a cake.

From your same article linked....

"If you have only the reusable mask, do wear it when you go out, but more importantly, adopt the physical distancing measures and practise personal hygiene."

"Dr Leong said that following safe distancing measures takes precedence over mask-wearing, and must be practised even when wearing a mask."

This was the whole point I was trying to make from the beginning. If you are NOT practicing social distancing, you may as well not wear a mask. Stay at Home.

[tiktok]

@sms sure I can see that your original comment was tongue in cheek, but unfortunately others may not. It also detracted from the useful message the OP was sending.

You or someone else then compounded the problem by deleting several posts that attempted to keep this thread on track.

Anyway I think we all agree: stay home if we can, otherwise wear a mask.

[martincymru]

As I understand, "we base our decision to order you to wear a mask on the science".

I have no argument with this approach. Thus, someone please provide the links from more than one independent, peer reviewed source / evidence / paper/report that wearing a home made mask or basic re-usable mask (as supplied free in Sg) significantly decreases your chances of catching COVID-19 in circumstances where the person is going about their normal day-to-day activities (work/play etc).

[tiktok]

This is becoming a climate change style debate, where for every "scientific" study proving one thing, another study can be found proving the opposite.

The way I see it is:
1. Most benefit from wearing a mask is when an infected person wears one.
2. I don't think anyone claims that a mask increases risk of infection. So it's a no brainer to wear one.

[sundaymorningstaple]

tictok, that I will agree on 100%.

[MikeJones]

There are two concerns about wearing masks that I've seen in various articles on UK and NZ news sources:
1. They can be uncomfortable and may lead to people touching their face more often which increases infection chances
2. Some people are assuming that because they are wearing a mask they are safe and so can go out and do what they want.

I don't think there is a huge body of evidence on either of these but equally there is not a lot of evidence that widespread wearing of masks decreases infection rates in the general public.

However I absolutely agree that if you are going out you should wear one as it's better than nothing especially if you are already infected and just don't know it yet. But the big message is ffs don't go out unless you really need to and don't hang about having a chat with your mates. Go out do your walk/run/cycle/shopping and then go straight home again.

[Addadude]

tictok, that I will agree on 100%.

I damn near fainted when I read this!

[sundaymorningstaple]

After I hit the post button I had to open my last Corona Extra!

[bro75]

tictok, that I will agree on 100%.

Sms got hacked?!

[sundaymorningstaple]

That's what it was! I was hacked! Heaven forbid I let people think I'm getting soft on trollish behaviour!

[x9200]

As I understand, "we base our decision to order you to wear a mask on the science".

I have no argument with this approach. Thus, someone please provide the links from more than one independent, peer reviewed source / evidence / paper/report that wearing a home made mask or basic re-usable mask (as supplied free in Sg) significantly decreases your chances of catching COVID-19 in circumstances where the person is going about their normal day-to-day activities (work/play etc).

A scientific based evidence does not require peer reviewed papers published. Seriously, you think something got already published for the masks put in production withing perhaps 2 months if a typical publishing cycle for any reasonable title is more like one year?

But leaving this aside, what would be the logic behind the gov spending probably a few hundred thousands dollars to manufacture and give away free that many of the masks if they had no evidence they significantly reduce the risk?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Don't forget the alcohol free sanitizer from the week before as well.