Best current information on efficacy of masks

Sentinel Intelligence 

Here’s the bottom line: Masks work. We’re going to examine all the evidence that they work, why you need them, and where you can get the best.

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A major investigation on masks in Clinical Microbiology Reviews examined 100 published articles on masks and found that when they’re “correctly and consistently worn,” masks and especially N95 respirators are “effective in reducing transmission of respiratory diseases.” The authors explain why N95 masks work. As they point out, “respirators are not simple sieves,” meaning they can easily trap viral particles 65-125 nanometers in diameter.

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evidence also shows that masks work and respirators work better.

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You still need a mask for a range of reasons, as explained here. Vaccines reduce your risk of Long Covid by roughly 62 percent, but even that mediocre protection wanes over time, requiring boosters once or even twice a year. As the studies show, it’s no trifling matter. It’s a condition characterized by lasting damage to multiple organ systems, and patients have put their pain and quality of life on par with advanced terminal cancer. The mountains of research have prompted many experts to describethe result as “the greatest mass disabling event in human history,” with an oncoming health crisis “so large as to be unfathomable.”

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CDC’s own journal, Emerging and Infectious Diseases:

In summary, it is likely that a substantial proportion of patients surviving COVID-19 will experience long-term symptoms requiring prolonged care, even after mild to moderate disease. These symptoms might negatively affect patients’ quality of life and represent an additional burden for healthcare services and social security.

That was published in March of 2022