Skepticism, Science & Pseudoscience

Openings between the threads in cloth might be microscopic, but they're open barn doors to viruses. In addition, once the mask gets wet with condensation, fluid in those openings can facilitate the transfer of virus particles to the inside of the mask. Or if the person has been infected but is not ill, to the outside of the mask to be dispersed into the air.

The best thing a cloth mask will do is keep your fingers out of your mouth or nose.

The N-95 mask will stop virus particles and will continue to work when it's wet. I see them as useful for the people who are symptomatic and need to go to the hospital, or for close caregivers either in the home or in hospitals.. A combination of a mask and good handwashing was found to cut the transmission of flu within families by a good 70% and it's likely the same for Covid.

These were the original guidelines until Big Dummy's stooges at the FDA and CDC were bullied into changing them.

Science isn't always pretty or productive of false confidence. People who are making cloth masks to sell aren't hurting anyone and if those masks stop hand-mucus membrane transmission, good for them. It just won't stop droplet transmission.

In 1918, people were ordered to wear masks and everyone did. The masks did nothing to prevent transmission.