Two schools of thought, not enough research
While wearing a mask in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak is second nature to people in parts of Asia, health experts in the West suggest otherwise
time.com
1, 不戴
On the one hand is the view shared by Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in Vanderbilt University’s Division of Infectious Diseases, who says that medical masks commonly worn by members of the public do not fit snugly around the nose, cheeks and chin.
“And if there’s a general recommendation that people wear face masks, we won’t have enough supply for healthcare workers,” he says, adding that his colleagues have already been reporting shortages. “The priority should be face masks to use in the healthcare environment, rather than in our community.”
He calls the evidence supporting the effectiveness of the general public wearing masks “scanty.”
2, 戴
But, David Hui, a respiratory medicine expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong who studied the 2002 to 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) extensively, says it’s “common sense” that wearing a mask would protect against infectious diseases like COVID-19.
“If you are standing in front of someone who is sick, the mask will give some protection,” Hui says. “The mask provides a barrier from respiratory droplets, which is predominantly how the virus spreads.”
He also says that the role of a face mask may be especially important in the epidemic due to the nature of the virus. Patients with COVID-19 often have mild or even no symptoms, and some researchers believe it can also be transmitted when patients are asymptomatic—meaning patients can be contagious and don’t know they’re sick.
今天去家边上的商场，乖乖很兴奋，他说他以前从来不知道进mall还会有这么开心的感觉，但我进去后第一次逼着他戴口罩，他感觉立马就不好了，浑身不自在，说要戴口罩的话以后再也不出门了。因为他的周围还是没有一个人戴口罩的。你能看见他的口罩吗？你能看出他的不自在吗？唉
回家后我们都好好洗了个澡，不再打算去商店了。
