Ok I am pissed off. I was just chatting with @Myrth about mask wearing.
And she had mentioned that she heard, from reputable sources, that wearing a mask does little to protect the person wearing. This was a very widespread story, pick up by all the news shows.
It is based on only one study.
(sorry for the yelling)
THAT PAPER IS JUNK, NOT JUST BAD SCIENCE, BUT DANGEROUS.
Controversy on COVID-19 mask study spotlights messiness of science during a pandemic.
It is difficult for the non-scientist to sort through it all. Our local health department puts out info. They indicated that the best protection is if all wear masks, as transmission rates between masked people are very low. They indicated that if the infected person is not masked (possible in my courtroom, since masks won’t be worn by all), that the masked people around them were only partially protected - the mask cuts your risk, but not nearly as much as if everyone wears a mask.
Now, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of that, but that’s what I was (possibly inarticulately) trying to reference, that just me wearing a mask is only partially protective.
Also, sitting within 2 feet of another person for a number of hours seems risky when the health department has been telling us we need BOTH masks AND six feet of separation.
I don’t think our courtroom scenario has really been tested yet. We’re guinnea pigs. 👀